Media

West Chicago—Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced new financial assistance available to Illinoisans through the American Rescue Plan. As of April 12, 2021, FEMA is accepting applications to help pay for funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020, for deaths related to COVID-19 to help Illinois families who have been financially burdened during the pandemic. In December 2020, Underwood supported the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act that provided $2 billion in federal resources for funeral assistance through FEMA.

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced bipartisan climate change legislation to support farmers and ranchers on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is well-positioned to support agricultural producers' efforts to address climate change through existing voluntary, incentives-based programs, like the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

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.

WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) led 35 members of the House of Representatives in urging House and Senate leadership to make the health care affordability provisions included in the American Rescue Plan permanent. In the letter to House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Schumer, the Members highlighted the health care savings that Americans are already seeing from the inclusion of expanded premium tax credits in the American Rescue Plan, and emphasized the need to permanently extend these provisions, which are set to expire in 2023.

WEST CHICAGO—Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) hosted a series of three virtual conversations with health care experts and community organizations to discuss health care savings available to Illinois families through the American Rescue Plan. These videos will help Illinoisans understand how the new law lowers Marketplace health plan costs for them and their families. In the first conversation, Underwood speaks with Cynthia Cox, Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), who explains the ways in which the American Rescue Plan makes health care more affordable.

WASHINGTON—On the first day new, lower premium prices are available on HealthCare.gov due to the American Rescue Plan, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) encouraged Illinois families to review new savings available to them. The new coverage options have been made available because Underwood's Health Care Affordability Act was included in the American Rescue Plan to 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) supported the passage of the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) in the House of Representatives. The American Dream and Promise Act provides relief to our nation's Dreamers, as well as to many Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders. The bill also includes protections for "documented Dreamers"—people who came to the U.S.

WASHINGTON— Today, Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) supported the passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, bipartisan immigration legislation that modernizes and streamlines the H-2A program to ensure Illinois businesses and farmers have access to the experienced workers they need without the red tape and extreme financial burden of the current system. The H-2A program allows business owners to apply for temporary visas for foreign workers to fill short-term seasonal jobs when American workers are not available.