Rep. Aguilar Secures Wins for the Inland Empire in Appropriations Bills Heading for a Vote in the Coming Months

August 03, 2026 Press Releases Rep. Aguilar Secures Wins for the Inland Empire in Appropriations Bills Heading for a Vote in the Coming Months Highlights include nearly $18 million for 20 projects in the Inland Empire and strengthening oversight of the Trump administration secured through his work on the House Appropriations Committee WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the committee responsible for determining how much funding each federal agency receives, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) fought to add funding for local housing, healthcare and infrastructure needs in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) government funding bills. “Whether it’s affordable housing, accessible healthcare, public safety or boosting our local economy, my number one goal has always been to make life better for families in the Inland Empire,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar . “I’m proud of my work to deliver for the hardworking people I represent and I will continue fighting for policies and funding to benefit our region.” The wins were secured in bills passed by the House Appropriations Committee. The next step is for the full House of Representatives to consider the bills and for negotiations with the Senate to finalize this funding. A list of Rep. Aguilar’s Community Project Funding requests, along with a summary of his top wins in each government funding bill, is included below. Rep. Aguilar’s FY 2027 Community Project Funding Requests: Rep. Aguilar secured $17,633,864 for 20 projects in the Inland Empire to support local efforts to create job training and research programs, strengthen water and flood infrastructure, improve public safety, reduce crime, increase affordable housing, upgrade roadways and transportation and expand healthcare services. Specifically, this includes: $2,000,000 for SAC Health’s Expansion of Dental Access Project to purchase dental equipment and expand dental services at SAC Health’s Brier Campus, strengthening the Inland Empire’s healthcare infrastructure and improving access to oral health services for underserved communities. $1,007,060 for San Bernardino County’s Rialto Channel Improvements Project to enhance the Rialto Channel’s stormwater capacity and reduce flood risk in Downtown Rialto, protecting homes, businesses, public facilities and transportation corridors from damage during major storms. $1,000,000 for Community Health Systems, Inc.’s Bloomington Community Health Campus Improvement Project to renovate and expand the Bloomington Family Wellness Center to provide behavioral health and substance use disorder services, enhancing community access to quality healthcare and reducing emergency room visits. $1,000,000 for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino’s Arrowhead Grove 132 Units of Affordable Housing Redevelopment Project to renovate and construct more than 130 new affordable and workforce rental housing units in one of San Bernardino’s most chronically impoverished neighborhoods. $1,000,000 for the City of Rancho Cucamonga’s Renovation for Workforce Development and Business Incubator Project to transform the historic d’Ellena Winery into a training center for hospitality jobs, creating career pathways for in-demand hospitality, food and beverage and event management roles. $1,000,000 for the City of Grand Terrace’s Commerce Way – De Berry Street Gateway Connector Project to build a road connecting Commerce Way to De Berry Street and linking to Taylor Street, enhancing roadway safety and improving access to Interstate 215, local businesses and nearby housing developments. $1,000,000 for San Bernardino International Airport Authority’s City Creek Bypass Channel Drainage Improvements Project to construct a new channel design between Victoria Avenue and the Twin Creek channel to permanently reduce flood risks, improve public safety and protect critical infrastructure and downstream communities. $772,700 for Loma Linda University’s Community-Based Interdisciplinary Education, Research and Service-Learning Center to provide students with state-of-the-art simulation, community research and service-learning experiences to help meet community healthcare needs. $772,700 for the City of San Bernardino’s Mobile Command Post to reduce crime and improve the city’s safety and emergency response. $772,700 for the University of Redlands’ AI-Enhanced Geospatial and Architectural Modeling Lab for Community Hazard Resilience to train city planners and emergency responders to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology. $772,700 for the City of Redlands Body-Worn Camera Modernization and Replacement Initiative to enhance the Redlands Police Department’s body-worn camera and drone programs and create a system to manage digital evidence and share data with justice partners, strengthening efficiency, transparency and public trust. $772,700 for Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy’s Youth Justice Resilience and Reentry Initiative (YJRRI) to provide supportive services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth aimed at improving public safety, treating trauma and reducing recidivism rates for gang involvement, substance abuse and other crimes. $772,700 for the California University of Science and Medicine’s Health Workforce Training Center: AI-Powered Language Proficiency Program to provide scalable clinical communication and language proficiency training for healthcare workers across the Inland Empire. $750,000 for the San Bernardino Community College District’s SBVC Legacy Village – Phase 1 Student & Workforce Housing Infrastructure Project to build Legacy Village, a student success and workforce preparation hub with 500 housing units, improving housing stability and education access in the Inland Empire. $746,868 for the City of Rialto’s City Well 3A Arsenic Treatment Facility Project to support the construction of an arsenic treatment facility to restore a critical local drinking water supply for Rialto residents and meet federal drinking water standards. $746,868 for San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District’s Mill Creek Groundwater Recharge Facility Overflow Upgrades Project to increase groundwater storage of the San Bernardino Basin to improve local water sustainability, support economic stability and growth and enhance public access and safety. $746,868 for the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department’s (SBWMD) Wastewater Lift Station Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Modernization and Improvement Project to upgrade critical wastewater infrastructure and address technology vulnerabilities, helping to prevent costly environmental or public health issues. $700,000 for the Colton Police Department’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS) Project to strengthen community safety and emergency response by streamlining call handling, improving police response and providing real-time situational updates. $679,200 for the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line Operational Reliability and Safety Improvements Metrolink Project to upgrade technology along the San Bernardino Line to improve system safety and reliability and provide riders traveling to and from San Bernardino with real-time service information. $620,800 for the City of San Bernardino’s Street Lighting and Public Safety Improvement Project to replace approximately 3,000 wired LED streetlights with off-grid streetlights across the city, improving safety and reducing costs by eliminating the need for emergency repairs. Rep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill include: Secured $875 million in infrastructure funding for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Additionally, during a subcommittee hearing, Rep. Aguilar questioned Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, urging stronger financial support from the Trump administration for the games. Helped block the Trump administration’s unfair housing rule that would take away housing from U.S. citizen children who live in mixed immigration status households. During a subcommittee hearing, Rep. Aguilar questioned Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner about the unprecedented housing rule, which helped lead to the passage of an amendment preventing the rule’s implementation. Secured language urging HUD to use higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) like the Inland Empire to expand access to affordable housing and opportunities for homeownership. Rep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Defense funding bill include: Secured $5,000,000 for a Redlands-based software company and global leader in geospatial intelligence data awareness to develop a data collection platform in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD). The platform will collect data used to improve communities, such as mapping traffic, understanding community trends, boosting utility efficiency and more. Secured $5,000,000 for a Redlands-based battery manufacturer to develop a high-power-density battery to serve as a reliable, clean energy source for military and space technology. Increased funding for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity research and workforce development at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Secured funding for a San Bernardino-based aerospace company to develop a low-cost, reusable and versatile Towed Hypersonic Launch platform to support space launches. During an oversight hearing with Secretary Pete Hegseth, Rep. Aguilar pressed the Department of Defense to reveal that the cost of the Iran War had increased from $25 billion to more than $29 billion. Rep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill include: Secured $2.5 million for affordable housing agencies like Rancho Cucamonga-based National CORE to provide residents with supportive services to improve housing stability, economic mobility and financial literacy. Ensured that participants in the Randolph-Sheppard Program for the Blind continue to receive technical support when applying for federal grants. Expanded access to sickle cell disease treatment at community-based organizations in California and increased the quality of medical care provided to individuals living with sickle cell disease. Rep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Financial Services and General Government funding bill include: Secured changes to the bill urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to respond to mailbox theft and vandalism more quickly and strengthen protections for consumers. Rep. Aguilar held a press conference highlighting the importance of these efforts for the Inland Empire. Improved small businesses’ ability to afford advertising and increase local news coverage in areas like the San Bernardino Valley, which are grouped into larger broadcasting media markets such as Los Angeles. Rep. Aguilar secured language directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report analyzing current Designated Market Areas (DMA) definitions and their effects on outlying communities. Encouraged the construction of a new courthouse in Riverside, CA, so that Inland Empire residents going to court are less likely to be redirected to Los Angeles or San Diego for hearings with a judge when the existing courthouse experiences backlogs. Rep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Homeland Security funding bill include: Urged U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to address processing delays for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ renewal applications and work authorizations . Rep. Aguilar’s changes to the bill will help ensure that DACA recipients’ jobs, lives and legal status are not put at risk due to delays within USCIS. Directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop an identification system for law enforcement conducting immigration enforcement with clearly and legibly displayed identifiers and requiring law enforcement personnel to verbally identify themselves upon request in the case of an arrest. Ensured that Members of Congress can visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to conduct congressional oversight without giving prior notice. Furthermore, the changes that Rep. Aguilar secured will prevent detention facilities from modifying the facilities prior to congressional oversight visits to ensure transparency about the conditions. Rep. Aguilar will continue fighting for his legislative priorities as the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) Appropriations bills await full consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives. Back To News