Rep. Aguilar secures funding for San Bernardino projects

Last week, Rep. Pete Aguilar praised the passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 government funding bill, which included his request for $6,987,500 for Inland Empire community projects.

“I came to Congress to deliver for the community that my family has called home for four generations, and the resources we’ve secured today are going make a positive impact for years to come,” Rep. Aguilar said. “From youth mental health services to improving public safety to building affordable homes for veterans, these resources go directly to projects that will raise the quality of life for Inland Empire families and create good-paying jobs for our residents. I look forward to working with local leaders to ensure these projects have an immediate positive impact.”

The projects were selected through a community-wide application process and were submitted by Rep. Aguilar to the House Committee on Appropriations. Each project met certain criteria and demonstrated strong evidence of community support. All ten projects submitted by Rep. Aguilar are included in the government funding bill.

In San Bernardino, more than $2 million was earmarked for KVCR, Mary’s Mercy Center and the San Bernardino International Airport.

KVCR Inland Future’s Foundation will receive $1 million for providing Inland Empire community college students with educational experience and hands-on workplace training in public radio and broadcasting through continuance of KVCR and its related student programming.

Mary’s Mercy Center, Inc. will receive $300,000 to create and implement a workforce development program for the Center’s homeless transitional housing program participants.

The San Bernardino International Airport Authority will receive $1 million for critical repair work at the airport’s main runway.

The FY 2022 $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill includes $13.6 billion in emergency humanitarian, defense and economic assistance for the people of Ukraine. Also included is $1.3 billion to support safer communities, a 2.7 percent pay increase for US servicemembers, and more than $10 billion to strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to confront the climate crisis.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the committee responsible for funding federal programs and agencies.