Jobs, Economy, and Small Business
“Economic security and opportunity are at the heart of my agenda in Congress. Whether it’s protecting access to health care, investing in local infrastructure, supporting our small business community, or improving our schools and universities, ensuring people in our district have the tools they need to live fulfilling lives is my highest priority.”
Congresswoman Underwood’s legislative agenda is centered on economic security and opportunity for the working families of the 14th District. She demonstrates this commitment by championing legislation to undo the damage done by the 2017 Republican tax law, specifically by allowing middle class taxpayers to avoid double taxation by deducting the amounts paid for state and local taxes (SALT) against their federal taxable income.
Congresswoman Underwood supports a broad approach to job creation and introduced legislation that would reduce health insurance premiums for people who purchase health care on their own, providing more people the flexibility to start their own businesses. She advocates for strategic investments in local transportation infrastructure, from highways to Metra commuter rail, to make the 14th a more convenient place to live and to stimulate job growth.
Congresswoman Underwood also champions legislation to increase federal funding for biomedical and scientific research, which supports Illinois’ Technology and Research Corridor and tens of thousands of high-paying 21st Century jobs in our communities.
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More on Jobs, Economy, and Small Business
WASHINGTON—In a hearing with the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) advocated for programs to support nutrition assistance and improve maternal health.
WASHINGTON—Today, Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced legislation to provide tax relief to Illinois families unfairly harmed by changes to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The Republican tax law enacted in 2017 disproportionately hurt northern Illinoisans by capping the SALT deduction at $10,000. The SALT Fairness for Working Families Act would help affected taxpayers by increasing the current SALT deduction cap, eliminating the marriage penalty, and adding an inflationary adjustment.
Underwood’s Health Care Affordability Act, included in the American Rescue Plan, will lower out-of-pocket health care costs for American families
WASHINGTON— Today, Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) supported the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the House of Representatives.
WASHINGTON— Representative Lauren Underwood’s (IL-14) legislation that would lower health care costs for American families passed the U.S. House of Representatives today. The Health Care Affordability Act would lower out-of-pocket health care premium costs by making premium tax credits for Health Insurance Marketplace plans more generous and available to more Americans.
WASHINGTON— This week, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) joined two bipartisan efforts calling for Congress to restore the tax deductibility of forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for small businesses. Recent guidance from the IRS does not allow businesses to deduct expenses covered by a PPP loan from their federal taxes, violating congressional intent under the CARES Act and creating an undue burden on many of the nation’s small businesses.
WASHINGTON— Yesterday, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) supported the House passage of bipartisan legislation to protect pregnant workers. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694) guarantees basic protections for pregnant workers by establishing a clear-cut right to reasonable accommodations, so they can continue working without jeopardizing their pregnancy.
WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) led a congressional effort pushing Robinhood, a financial services company that offers an investment trading app, to take immediate action to improve user information and safety. The letter follows the unspeakably tragic death by suicide of Naperville resident Alexander Kearns, a Robinhood user. News reports have indicated that Kearns was shown misleading information by the app, suggesting that he had a negative “cash” balance of $730,000.
WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) supported the passage of bipartisan legislation to improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and support small businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010) would make critical improvements to the PPP’s loan forgiveness process to ensure vulnerable small businesses are able to access and make full use of the program.
WEST CHICAGO— Yesterday, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) continued her work to support Illinois small businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a virtual meeting with the Illinois District Director for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Robert “Bo” Steiner, Underwood and Steiner provided an update on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Additionally, Underwood provided meeting participants with the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from the SBA.