Rep. Pete Aguilar said he and other members of House Democratic leadership are “standing at the bottom of Mount Rushmore,” as they have taken over from long-serving lawmakers like Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn.
“We can always turn to them for advice, but it’s on us to chart a path and a course forward for House Democrats that pushes back where we need to against Donald Trump and House Republicans, but is ultimately focused on the American people and what we can do to make their lives better,” Aguilar told NOTUS’ Reese Gorman in the latest episode of the On NOTUS podcast.
In 2022, Pelosi announced that she would step back from House leadership, making way for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to step into the role. Aguilar is on that leadership team as the chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
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The role elevated Aguilar to become the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, an identity that gives him a sense of “added responsibility,” he said.
“That means that I have a responsibility to represent my community back home, but that I also know that sometimes, when I speak, I speak for a broader group and a broader audience,” Aguilar said.
Though he was raised in a self-described apolitical family, Aguilar said his heritage and upbringing in San Bernardino, California guide his work in Congress.
“When I think about the Latino community, I think about hard work,” Aguilar said. “I think about people who are working hard, they want a better life for their kids and their family and they will do anything to help their kids and their grandkids succeed.”
“And that’s, I think, what I bring to the table and something that I continue to talk about is wanting to make sure that the next generation has it just a little bit better,” he added. “And I think that we’re struggling in that right now, and I think that we have a lot of work to do.”
On Venezuela, Aguilar said ousted leader Nicolás Maduro was “illegitimate” and he doesn’t “lose a lot of sleep about him not being [in] power.” But he questioned President Donald Trump’s plans for continued U.S. involvement in the country. The Trump administration announced last week that it plans to “indefinitely” take control of Venezuelan oil sales, spurring an outcry from Democratic lawmakers and a Senate vote to move forward with the War Powers Resolution that would limit Trump’s military power in Venezuela.
Aguilar said Americans are wary of Trump expanding the U.S. presence in foreign countries.
“I think the American people are frustrated,” Aguilar said. “The president’s talking about rebuilding oil infrastructure in Venezuela. Well, how about we rebuild some of the infrastructure here at home? How about we create jobs here at home and help people, give people actual relief in their daily lives rather than sending billions of dollars to Argentina and now Venezuela?”
On NOTUS is a weekly podcast in which host Reese Gorman talks to lawmakers about how they got to Washington and what motivates them. You can download or listen here.
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