FIGHTING INFLATION &STRENGTHENING OUR ECONOMY
CONGRESSWOMAN UNDERWOOD IS FOCUSED ON LOWERING OUT OF POCKET COSTS FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS FAMILIES WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT A STRONG ECONOMIC RECOVERY. SHE HAS ADVANCED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO DELIVER TAX RELIEF FOR FAMILIES, SUPPORT OUR RURAL ECONOMY, AND DELIVER STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS LIKE RURAL BROADBAND, IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSIT AND CLEAN ENERGY ACROSS IL-14.
Lauren’s legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act, limits the cost of health care coverage for people who choose Marketplace plans to eight and a half percent or less of their income. This law has proven to be so popular, over 16 million Americans signed up for health care coverage in 2022, with 4 in 5 enrollees finding a plan for $10 or less per month. The legislation was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan in 2021, and later extended through the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
Lauren responded to skyrocketing insulin prices with the bipartisan Lower Insulin Costs Now Act. The legislation was signed into law by President Trump in 2019, to make lower-cost, generic insulin available more quickly.
One of Lauren’s top priorities is allowing northern Illinois families to once again deduct the value of their state and local taxes (SALT) from their federal tax bill. This valuable deduction was scaled back to the detriment of middle-class families in the 2017 Republican Tax Law. Lauren introduced the first bill during her first term in Congress to ensure middle-class families can once again deduct their SALT and avoid double taxation, and championed an effort that resulted in the House passing legislation to eliminate the SALT cap — twice.
Lauren successfully extended the 2018 biodiesel tax credit to support Illinois’ rural economy and led a bipartisan letter to USDA calling on the agency to provide accurate crop data to Illinois farmers who rely on USDA data to make business decisions.
Lauren voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021), which is supporting numerous job-creating projects across IL-14, including $90M to clean up Ottawa’s Superfund Site.
LOCAL WINS
Lauren is a tireless advocate for the people of Illinois' 14th district.
$1.5M for NIU Microchip Lab. This money will be used to modernize the space at the NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology in DeKalb.
$974,843 for Huntley Shops on Main. This money provides federal funding to entrepreneurs which will create an increase in local jobs.
$343,000 for the expansion of the Joliet Junior College Entrepreneurship Center.
$575,000 for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Childcare Network.
Lauren has also requested funding for the following projects:
$850,000 for the Joliet Youth Innovation Center.
$950,000 for Lewis University semiconductor manufacturing.
