Juan Vargas

Rep. Juan Vargas, Ranking Member Maxine Waters Statement on DOJ Dropping Baseless Probe into Fed Chair Powell and Senate Banking Confirmation of New Fed Chair

Position: The representatives oppose political interference with Federal Reserve independence, characterizing the DOJ investigation into Chair Powell and attempts to remove Governor Cook as baseless and politically motivated efforts to pressure the Fed into aligning with the Administration's agenda.

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Ranking Member of the Monetary Policy Task Force, and Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Senate Banking Committee’s expected approval of Trump’s Fed Chair nominee, Kevin Warsh. “Trump’s Department of Justice’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was baseless, politically motivated, and an abuse of power from day one, as was the unlawful attempt to fire Governor Lisa Cook. These and other actions were designed to intimidate leaders of the Federal Reserve and bend one of the most important economic institutions in the world to Donald Trump’s will. And make no mistake, this is far from over. Trump has not dropped his effort to remove Governor Cook or the bogus investigation of her mortgage files. And the threat to reopen the investigation into Chair Powell is still hanging over the Federal Reserve like a cloud, sending a chilling message to any Fed official who refuses to fall in line with this Administration’s political agenda. At the same time, Republicans are rushing to install a new Federal Reserve Chair who will do exactly what Trump wants. That raises serious questions about whether this entire episode was part of a broader effort to pressure the Fed and hand the keys for monetary policy over to Trump. Let us be very clear, the Federal Reserve serves the American people, not Donald Trump. That independence is not optional, and it remains under attack. The Administration must immediately drop all efforts targeting any Federal Reserve official, including the continued attacks on Governor Lisa Cook. Committee Democrats will not stand by while this Administration tries to strong-arm our independent financial institutions, undermine economic stability, and put hardworking families at risk. We will continue to fight back and hold the President accountable.” ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Slams Trump Admin Attacks on Minority Serving Institutions

Position: Rep. Vargas opposes the Trump Administration's proposed elimination of federal funding for Minority Serving Institution (MSI) programs and calls for continued federal support for these programs that serve over five million students.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) joined U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), national education advocates, and students to raise the alarm about the Trump Administration’s deliberate attempts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and defund Minority Serving Institution (MSI) programs created by Congress. There are over 800 MSIs that serve more than five million students. Even though Congress has funded MSI programs across the nation for decades, the Administration’s proposed FY 2027 budget eliminates funding for MSI programs, which would impact schools across the country, including many higher education institutions in San Diego County. Watch Rep. Vargas’s remarks HERE. “Since taking office, Trump has targeted the diversity that helps make our country strong, and Minority Serving Institutions, including Hispanic Serving Institutions, are paying the price. Trump’s plan to end decades of federal support for these programs is an attack on our students, colleges, and universities,” said Rep. Juan Vargas. “We’re going to continue to fight to protect these programs. We’re on the right side of history, and that’s why we need to continue to push.” Since taking office, Trump has targeted programs that support students across the country, especially ones that serve low-income and first-generation students and MSIs. In September, ED announced that $350 million in federal funding would be redirected from MSIs to other programs. The Trump Administration followed this up in December, announcing that they would be “winding down” MSI programs moving forward. Rep. Vargas leads an annual appropriations letter in support of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Leads Request for $100 Million to Combat Cross-Border Pollution

Position: Rep. Vargas is requesting $100 million in federal funding for the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program to address cross-border pollution affecting communities in the Tijuana River Valley, and is calling for a federal state of emergency declaration.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) announced that he is leading a funding request for $100 million for the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) in the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process. This funding can be used to help combat cross-border pollution, including pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. BWIP helps fund and build critical infrastructure projects along the U.S.-Mexico border to improve water quality in the Tijuana River and other waterways. This program – which focuses on safe water for communities near the U.S.-Mexico border – has so far funded over 140 water and wastewater projects that benefit more than nine million people. This funding request comes as communities in the South Bay continue to face harmful impacts from pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. Hydrogen sulfide emissions in the area have repeatedly exceeded federal guidelines, including spikes in recent months. Additionally, community members have reported health issues like trouble breathing, headaches, and nausea. “Cross-border pollution has harmed the health of our communities, our local businesses, and our environment. While we’ve been able to bring home over half a billion dollars in federal funding to help combat it, there’s more work to do,” said Rep. Juan Vargas. “Our communities need relief. We're pushing for more resources and a state of emergency. We won't let up.” Addressing the impacts of Tijuana River Valley pollution is a top priority for Rep. Vargas. Rep. Vargas and the San Diego Congressional delegation have secured over $650 million in federal funding – more than half a billion dollars – to combat the pollution and make critical upgrades to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. Additionally, the San Diego Congressional delegation has called for a federal state of emergency due to the pollution. Read the full letter here. ###

On Tax Day, Rep. Juan Vargas Reintroduces the Donald J. Trump Wealth Tax Act

Position: Rep. Vargas reintroduced legislation proposing a 14.25 percent net worth tax on individuals and trusts with net worth exceeding $10 million, citing deficit reduction and alignment with a 1999 Trump proposal.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) reintroduced the Donald J. Trump Wealth Tax Act, a tax plan proposed by Donald Trump to impose a net worth tax of 14.25 percent on all individuals and trusts with a net worth of $10,000,000 or more in an effort to significantly reduce the national debt. In 1999, then-presidential hopeful Donald J. Trump announced a wealth tax plan to eliminate the national debt in its entirety. His plan would impose a net worth tax of 14.25 percent on all individuals and trusts with a net worth of $10,000,000 or more. “President Trump was serious when he proposed this wealth tax,” said Rep. Juan Vargas. “I am reintroducing the Donald J. Trump Wealth Tax Act to allow the President to follow through on his original idea of taxing the one percent. If he’s committed to reducing our national debt and staying true to his proposal, then I’m committed to working with him to ensure his wealth tax becomes law.” At the time, during an appearance on Good Morning America, Trump said, “If I were president, it would be passed. I think if somebody else is president, it probably can't be… This is a tax paid by one percent, but the one percent will be very big beneficiaries with what’s going to happen and the positive forces that would take place in the economy.” If the Donald J. Trump Wealth Tax Act raises the $5.7 trillion that President Trump expected it would in 1999, it would reduce the debt to GDP ratio from 101 percent to 83 percent. Read the Donald J. Trump Wealth Tax Act of 2026 HERE. ###

Rep. Juan Vargas, Colleagues Urge HUD Secretary Turner to Withdraw Cruel Rule Targeting Mixed-Status Families

Position: The representatives oppose HUD's proposed rule that would eliminate prorated rental assistance for mixed-status families and require citizenship verification for all household members, arguing it would separate families, increase homelessness, and contradict the agency's mission.

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) submitted a comment letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Turner calling for the immediate withdraw of HUD’s proposed rule, “Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status.” This proposal would end longstanding prorated assistance for families of mixed immigration status and require new, across-the-board citizenship documentation and verification for tenants in federal housing programs that would separate families and increase eviction and homelessness across the country. In the letter, the lawmakers underscore that Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act already limits assistance to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens and has, for decades, allowed mixed-status families to receive partial rental assistance to cover only the eligible family members so children and parents can remain under the same roof—preserving scarce resources and keeping families intact. HUD’s newly proposed changes would end that current practice, eliminating prorated assistance for mixed-status families and requiring each family member to be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen or otherwise face termination of their housing assistance. “The recent introduction of the proposed rule implementing Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has inexplicably revived a cruel and much-maligned desire of the Trump Administration to separate families with mixed immigration status and evict them from the major HUD housing programs,” wrote the lawmakers. Vargas, Waters, Velázquez, and Garcia go on to raise several concerns with the new plan, including that it would exacerbate the current eviction and homelessness crisis, placing children, seniors, and people with disabilities at a disproportionate disadvantage. The lawmakers also warn against HUD’s reliance on the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system to verify citizenship, noting its unreliability and history of inaccurately flagging U.S. citizens as noncitizens. In addition, they criticized that the rule would further strain already limited housing resources by requiring additional documentation from federally assisted households and imposing significant, unfunded compliance costs on public housing authorities, property owners, and tenants at a time when HUD programs are already stretched thin. “This proposed rule is yet another action from Secretary Turner and the Trump Administration that fundamentally contradicts the agency’s mission ‘to create strong, sustainable inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.’ It is also an attempt to go around Congress and re-write existing law by regulation in a way that is inconsistent with congressional intent,” the lawmakers added. In closing, the lawmakers call on Secretary Turner to withdraw the proposed rule and instead focus on solutions that will effectively address the housing affordability crisis that Americans are being forced to grapple with. Read the full letter HERE. ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Statement on War Powers Resolution

Position: Rep. Vargas expresses concern about the Administration's approach to Iran while affirming Congress's role under the War Powers Act and supporting operational flexibility for responding to Iranian threats and humanitarian abuses.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) released the following statement on the War Powers Resolution. “Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. For decades, the Iranian regime has threatened global security and targeted Americans and our allies. Iran and its proxies are responsible for the deaths of U.S. service members and civilians. “Inside its borders, Iran’s leadership has terrorized its own citizens. The people of Iran have been subjected to systematic human rights abuses under the regime, including torture, arbitrary arrest, deadly crackdowns on freedom of expression, and mass killings. Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and minorities have faced repression and violence. Earlier this year, the Iranian regime murdered tens of thousands of protestors who dared to call for dignity and freedom, and has continued to hunt down protestors. “Congress has a critical role to play in military operations, and the Administration must abide by the War Powers Act. While I have serious concerns about the Administration’s decisions and approach, we need to have flexibility when service members are actively engaged and - as we have had in the past - options available to respond to such bad actors and humanitarian abuses.” ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Statement on the Supreme Court Decision to Strike Down Donald Trump’s Illegal Tariffs

Position: Rep. Vargas opposes unilateral presidential tariff authority, arguing that tariff-setting power rests exclusively with Congress and that Trump's tariffs violated the Constitution and increased costs for families.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision to reject President Trump's illegal tariffs. “This is exactly what we've been saying from the beginning – Trump's tariffs were absolutely illegal. Authority to impose tariffs rests solely with Congress, not the President. Trump violated the Constitution and made life more expensive for families across the nation in the process. It’s time for Trump to drop his disastrous economic policies and actually address the affordability crisis he's fueled.” ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Statement on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Position: Rep. Vargas opposes federal contracts with private prison companies, specifically the GEO Group, that he states are facilitating immigration enforcement and detaining immigrants under inhumane conditions. He is boycotting the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce until they expel GEO Group as a member.

SAN DIEGO – Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) released the following statement on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I’m boycotting the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and will continue to do so until they expel the GEO Group as a member. Private prison companies – including GEO Group – are getting massive federal contracts to facilitate Trump's mass deportation agenda and they’re making record profits while subjecting immigrant detainees to inhumane conditions. I’m outraged to see the right-wing turn the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has taken since Trump’s election. As Trump continues to target and terrorize our immigrant communities across the country, supporting companies that are profiting off this immense human suffering is unacceptable. I urge the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce to drop their partnership with the GEO Group immediately.” ###

Rep. Juan Vargas Statement on Iran Crackdown on Protesters

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) released the following statement on reports that Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests has killed over 6,000 people. "I am horrified and outraged by this crackdown on unarmed protesters in Iran. For too long, Iranians have suffered at the hands of a brutal and violent authoritarian regime. I stand in full solidarity with the people of Iran as they demand freedom, humanity, and a better future." ###