Pete Aguilar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Aguilar
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Katherine Clark |
| Succeeded by | Ted Lieu |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Gary Miller |
| Constituency | 31st district (2015–2023) 33rd district (2023–present) |
| Mayor of Redlands | |
| In office December 7, 2010 – December 2, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Pat Gilbreath |
| Succeeded by | Paul Foster |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Rey Aguilar
June 19, 1979 Fontana, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Alisha Aguilar |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Redlands (BS) |
| Website | |
Peter Rey Aguilar (/ˈæɡjəlɑːr/ ag-YƏ-lar; born June 19, 1979) is an American politician. He is the current leader of the House Democratic Caucus in the United States House of Representatives. This means he helps guide the Democratic Party's plans in the House.
Aguilar has been a U.S. representative for California since 2015. He represents California's 33rd congressional district. Before joining Congress, he served as the mayor of Redlands, California, from 2010 to 2014. He was also a member of the Redlands City Council starting in 2006.
Pete Aguilar is the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Aguilar was born in Fontana, California. He grew up in San Bernardino, California, in a working-class family. His family has Mexican roots. He went to the University of Redlands. There, he studied government and business.
Public Service Career
Aguilar started working in public service in 2001. He was appointed to a role in the governor's office in California.
In 2006, he made history in Redlands. He became the youngest person ever to join the Redlands City Council. Other council members chose him from many candidates. A year later, he was officially elected.
His fellow council members chose him to be mayor in 2010 and again in 2012. As mayor, Aguilar was known for his strong leadership. He helped the city manage its money well during tough times. He also improved roads and made the government more open. He served as mayor until December 2014.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Winning Elections
Pete Aguilar first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. The area he ran in, California's 31st congressional district, had recently changed. It became more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate.
He ran again in 2014 and won. He defeated Republican Paul Chabot. Aguilar won re-election against Chabot in 2016. He also won his elections in 2018 and 2020.
After the 2020 U.S. census, the districts were redrawn. Aguilar's district became the new California's 33rd congressional district. He won re-election in this new district in 2022. In 2022, he was also chosen to be the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. This made him the highest-ranking Latino-American in Congress ever.
Aguilar was re-elected in the 2024 election. He is currently serving his sixth term in Congress.
Key Legislation and Focus Areas
In Congress, Pete Aguilar has worked on many important issues. These include:
- Immigration: He has supported programs like DACA for young undocumented immigrants. He also worked on laws to help these students go to college. He has also worked on ways to improve border security.
- Job Creation: Aguilar has focused on helping small businesses. He has supported tax breaks for them and programs to train workers. He also hosts job fairs to connect people with jobs.
- Gun Control: He has pushed for stronger gun laws. This includes closing loopholes that allow dangerous people to get guns. He also wants to ban certain types of assault weapons.
- Other Important Issues: He has also worked on national security, helping veterans, and protecting the environment. ..... He also helped his community recover after the 2015 San Bernardino attack.
Investigation into the January 6 Attack
On January 6, 2021, Pete Aguilar was at the U.S. Capitol building during the attack. In July 2021, he was chosen to be part of a special committee. This committee investigated what happened during the attack.
Aguilar said the committee's goal was to find out the truth. He wanted to make sure such an event never happens again. In June 2022, he helped lead a public hearing for the committee. This hearing focused on efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Committee Roles
For the 118th Congress, Pete Aguilar is on the Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the government spends money. He is also part of two subcommittees:
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Groups He Belongs To
Aguilar is part of several groups in Congress, called caucuses. These groups focus on specific issues or represent certain communities. Some of them include:
- Chair, House Democratic Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Equality Caucus
- Latino-Jewish Caucus
- Steel Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Climate Solutions Caucus
Political Views
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Technology Companies
In 2022, Aguilar voted against a bill that aimed to stop large companies from acting unfairly. This bill was about preventing anti-competitive behavior.
Support for Israel
Aguilar voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Personal Life
Pete Aguilar has lived in Redlands, California, since 1997. He is married to Alisha Aguilar, and they have two sons.
See also
In Spanish: Pete Aguilar para niños
