Underwood Secures Federal Funding for 14th District Priorities

Underwood-championed priorities include resources for coronavirus economic recovery and ethylene oxide monitoring

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced that she successfully secured federal resources for key priorities of the Fourteenth District of Illinois in the first House appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2021, H.R. 7608. Key priorities include support for COVID-19 economic recovery, ethylene oxide monitoring, and Underwood's ACE Veterans Act to expand veterans' access to a full year's supply of contraception. The legislative package also includes critical investments to strengthen food security; prioritize public health and safety; invest in infrastructure, support servicemembers, veterans, and military families; protect the environment; and combat climate change. The passage comes after a months-long open and transparent process in which Underwood solicited ideas and requests from local governments, non-profits, organizations, and individuals across Illinois' 14th Congressional District.

"One of the most important parts of my job is listening to the needs of our community. Over the last year, I've worked to deliver federal resources to strengthen northern Illinois communities," said Underwood. "I'm delighted to see many of our community's priorities pass the House, and I look forward to working with the Senate to see them passed into law so they can help northern Illinois."

H.R. 7608 includes Underwood-championed priorities for coronavirus economic recovery and ethylene oxide monitoring. Along with:

Health Care

• Provides $3.212 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a $40.8 million increase over last year's enacted level, to promote medical product and food safety, advance technological innovation in influenza vaccine manufacturing, and accelerate medical product development.
• Directs FDA to provide information about e-cigarette products on the market and FDA enforcement efforts to keep flavored e-cigarette products out of hands of young Americans.
• Address youth e-cigarette usage by urging FDA to expedite pre-market reviews of e-cigarettes and remove tobacco products that have failed to meet review application standards.
• Directs FDA to provide more information on access to brand and generic insulin products on the market and calls for timely review of new insulin products that could drive down the cost of life-saving diabetes treatments. In December, Underwood's bill, the Lower Insulin Costs Now Act, was signed into law by the President, ensuring FDA can continue to bring new, lower-cost generic insulin products to market.

Coronavirus

• Provides FDA legal authority to require the recall of unsafe prescription and over-the-counter drugs
• Restores funding for the World Health Organization, a vital U.S. partner in the fight against COVID-19, which President Trump has threatened to cut off

• Provides $2.5 billion for Global Health Program, directing funds to be used for a contribution to a multilateral vaccine development partnership to support epidemic preparedness
• Provides full funding for SNAP ($68.277 billion), child nutrition programs ($25.131 billion), and WIC ($5.75 billion)

Veterans

• Includes language strongly encouraging the Department of Veterans Affairs to give patients the option to receive a full year's supply of birth control at once, consistent with Underwood's ACE Veterans Act
• Provides $660 million in funding to support the Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Health Care Program
• Provides $1.9 billion in support of veteran suicide prevention programs and outreach
• Provides $120 million to support the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Teams
• Provides $7.8 million in support to programs to assist homeless veterans in the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program

Maternal Mortality

• Directs VA to provide a report on maternal mortality among women veterans with strategies to prevent pregnancy-related deaths among women who have served
• Calls for information on the utilization of VA maternity care benefits and measures to ensure effective coordination between VA and community maternity care providers
• Calls for improved outreach efforts by VA to ensure women veterans receive information about VA maternity care benefits for which they are eligible
• Directs VHA to develop a survey to assess the quality of maternity care benefits offered by VA and to understand the experiences of women veterans in receiving maternity care from community providers
• Provides $2.64 billion for programs to improve maternal and child health and fight infectious diseases around the world, an increase of $4 million above last year's enacted level and $719 million above the President's budget

Agriculture and Trade

• Provides $8.9 million in funding to support the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program
• Provides a loan level of $20 million to support the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and an appropriation of $476,000 for the loan subsidy
• Provides $10 million in funding for the support of farmer and rancher mental and behavioral health
• Provides funding of $12 million to support the Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Program
• Provides $551 million in funding to support the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Summer Foods Service Program
• Provides $9 million in funding to support the Department of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
• Provides $2 million in funding to support the Department of Agriculture Horse Protection Act
• Provides $31.7 million in funding to support the Department of Agriculture Animal Welfare Act Facility (AWA)
• Provides $115.7 million in funding to support the Export-Import Bank, which directly supports IL-14 businesses

Infrastructure

• Provides $15.17 billion in water infrastructure and other infrastructure programs, including $12.97 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and $546 million to get lead out of drinking water
• Provides $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans, and more than $610 million in water and waste grants for clean and reliable drinking water systems and sanitary waste disposal systems
• Provides $990 million for the Rural Broadband ReConnect Program, $435 million above fiscal year 2020

Education

• Supports language and international exchange programs at Northern Illinois University by providing $741.7 million for the Department of State's Education and Cultural Exchange Programs, $11 million above fiscal year 2020
• Provides $170 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, $7.75 million above fiscal year 2020
• Provides $170 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, $7.75 million above fiscal year 2020

Environment and Climate Change

• Provides $13.83 billion for the Department of the Interior (non-LWCF), $304 million above fiscal year 2020
• Provides $9.38 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), $318 million above fiscal year 2020, with instructions to use the increased funding for ethylene oxide monitoring and compliance
• Provides $521.6 million for EPA's Clean Air programs and research, $37.9 million above fiscal year 2020
• Provides $12.97 billion to states for clean water restoration through the EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
• Protects one of the Midwest's most important resources by investing $335 million in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative plus $25 million in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs to address invasive Asian carp