116th Congress
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswomen Alma Adams (NC -12) and Lauren Underwood (IL-14), founders and co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, convened 32 of the leading organizations working to address the Black maternal health crisis for the Caucus' first-ever stakeholder summit.
The summit served as a listening session for Members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus to hear insights from a diverse group of stakeholders on their advocacy efforts and their recommendations for the Caucus.
WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) voted in support of passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. The bill authorizes $733 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the defense-related activities of the Department of Energy, as well as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The FY 2020 NDAA eliminates wasteful spending, promotes a more inclusive military, and solidifies Congress's oversight role over defense programs.
WASHINGTON—Today Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) introduced the Caring for Women Veterans Act (H.R. 3636) to ensure women veterans receive quality health care from VA facilities. The bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report to Congress on gender-specific care available at VA facilities, which will provide an informed and sustainable roadmap to providing high quality, accessible care for women veterans.
WASHINGTON— Today, as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in Republicans' Texas v. U.S. lawsuit, Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) responded to the latest efforts to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act and throw our health system into chaos, including protections for people with preexisting conditions, the ability for people to stay on their parents insurance until the age of 26, and first dollar coverage of preventive services. Rep.
WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Committee and Congressman John Katko (NY-24), announced the introduction of the Counter Terrorist Network Act (H.R. 3526) to strengthen U.S. border security and counter terrorism efforts. The legislation would authorize the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner to collaborate with appropriate federal, state, local, tribal, and international entities to identify and dismantle networks that pose terrorist or criminal threats to the U.S.
WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced her co-sponsorship of the bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (H.R. 3375) to bring needed relief to Illinoisans from abusive robocall practices. Last year, an estimated 47.8 billion robocalls were placed nationwide, an increase of 17 billion calls over previous years.
WASHINGTON –– Today, seven freshman members of Congress unveiled Task Force Sentry, a bipartisan group of lawmakers who have been, for the past eight weeks, working together behind closed doors to protect the U.S. political system from attack by foreign adversaries. The task force is led by Reps. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Mikie Sherill (NJ-11), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02).
WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Vice Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security, today introduced the U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening and Standards Act (H.R. 3525) to ensure appropriate medical safeguards for individuals apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), today met with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Peter T. Gaynor to push his agency to do everything in its power to help Illinois recover from and prepare for disasters. The members also urged Gaynor to improve the state application process for Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM) funding.
WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced today that her efforts to secure important resources for health care, the protection of climate change data, ethylene oxide research, and Fermilab were successful. The legislation passed as a part of the House appropriations package (H.R. 2740, H.R. 3055, and H.R. 3351) for Fiscal Year 2020. 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.