116th Congress

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Educare of West DuPage an additional $1,108,315 in federal grant funding for early childhood education programs. Educare of West DuPage is a part of a national network of schools partnered with Early Head Start funding to ensure more children in the state of Illinois have access to early education.

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced the House Appropriations Committee included funding for ambient air monitoring of Ethylene Oxide (EtO) during its mark-up of the appropriations bill for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The $5.6 million increase for EPA's compliance monitoring program would support EPA air monitoring for communities identified by the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) as facing high levels of EtO emissions, including those in Lake County.

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) announced monthly mobile office hours throughout the 14th District of Illinois. At a set date and time each month, staff from Underwood's office will be available in libraries, recreation centers, and city halls in different communities across the district. Staff will be available to listen concerns, answer questions, and assist with issues like federal grant applications, Medicare assistance, military benefits, Social Security issues, and more.

WASHINGTON–Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) helped pass H.R. 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) to deliver an urgently needed fix for military survivors and families facing drastic tax hikes under the Republican Tax Law, including the "kiddie tax" provision.

WASHINGTON—Ahead of Memorial Day, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood's (IL-14) bipartisan legislation to ensure high-quality mental health and suicide prevention care for veterans has passed the U.S House of Representatives unanimously. The Veterans' Care Quality Transparency Act would ensure both the VA and outside providers are offering veterans high-quality mental health and suicide prevention services.

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Lauren Underwood's (IL-14) bipartisan legislation to strengthen child abuse protections passed the House of Representatives. Her legislation, which passed as part of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Stronger CAPTA), would help protect children adopted after being in homes with substance abuse issues by requiring research examining the association between parental substance abuse and its impacts on adoption outcomes.

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood's (IL-14) legislation that would help protect Americans with preexisting conditions passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation (H.R. 1010) would overturn an Administration rule that expands short-term, limited-duration insurance, commonly known as "junk plans."

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswomen Lauren Underwood (D-IL) delivered a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives in memory of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund from Crystal Lake who was tragically killed in April. Last Friday, Underwood attended the visitation for AJ in Crystal Lake. In her speech, Underwood highlights the dire need to improve the foster care system and strengthen the policies that failed AJ and many children and foster youth who experience abuse. Underwood recently introduced an amendment to H.R.