About the Candidate
Name: Lauren Underwood
DOB: Oct. 4, 1986
Occupation: Member of Congress, registered nurse
Political Experience: Member of Congress
Website: www.underwoodforcongress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenUnderwood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnderwoodforCongress
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenaunderwood/
Candidate Statement
Hi. I’m Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and I have proudly served the people of Illinois’ 14th District since 2019.
Over the past several years we have endured a lot as a community and more importantly, we have overcome so many challenges.
The historic nature of what we faced demanded bold and urgent action to meet the needs of hard-working people throughout northern Illinois.
I was proud to deliver critical resources like the Expanded Child Tax Credit that sent parents of 140,000 kids in the 14th District up to $300 per month per child. I also secured billions of dollars to keep our vital local businesses open through the Paycheck Protection Program and I voted and passed the largest infrastructure investment all across Illinois through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
And there’s no time quite like a global pandemic to highlight how important it is to have access to quality and affordable health care. That’s why I wrote the Health Care Affordability Act which was signed into law and lowers health care premiums saving families an average of $2,400 a year. And as a registered nurse, I will always fight to keep quality health care accessible for everyone.
These key investments and legislation have helped our communities bounce back and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to deliver for the people of Illinois every day.
But there is still much more to do which is why I will continue to work hard to fight inflation and lower costs for families, small business owners, students, seniors, and working people across our district.
We’ve made so much progress together and I remain as hopeful as ever that our best days are still ahead of us. I am asking for your vote so we can continue to do this important work together.
Thank you.
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
From the day I was sworn in, I pledged to my constituents that I would be the most accessible, transparent and accountable Congresswoman this community has ever had. I'm so proud to say I’ve done exactly that.
Over the past few years, we’ve made so much progress together, from creating millions of middle-class jobs, to keeping our communities open by getting shots in arms and especially towards rebuilding our country’s infrastructure with the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law where Illinois alone will see $1.4 billion over the next five years to improve our roads and bridges, not to mention connecting our rural communities to high-speed internet and finally getting rid of all lead pipes from our drinking water.
I’m running for reelection because we have so much more to do. I’m more determined than ever to build upon our progress to meet our challenges and lower inflation and costs for families across the district from reducing monthly health health care premiums to easing the pain at the gas pump and the cost of household goods.
The historic circumstances of the past few years have made it clear that we need serious and effective leadership to meet the unprecedented challenges facing our community and I’m honored to have that responsibility.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
It has been a joy to serve the people of Illinois 14th district as their Representative. Through this work I’m able to truly make a difference, whether that is in the form of bringing federal dollars to help out our small businesses during difficult times, or making sure we have the resources we need to repair our roads and bridges, or even moving residential mailboxes to a safer location so residents can safely access their mail, there are so many ways to improve the lives of my constituents through this office.
What needs fixing is the growing divide in our country and in Congress, driven by intense partisanship and deeply un-American attacks on our democracy from leaders of the Republican Party. Whether it’s spreading lies about the validity of the 2020 election, sympathetic views towards radical conspiracy theories and sustained attacks on voting rights across the country, today’s GOP has been hijacked by a radical fringe that threatens the future of our precious experiment of democracy. But despite these political divisions, I have stayed true to my promise to be responsive and accessible to my community and not get caught up in the partisan games of Washington. In doing so, I've successfully enacted nine pieces of legislation under both President Trump and President Biden and I will continue to find solutions that improve the lives of my constituents.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
As a registered nurse and public health expert, I have made access to high-quality, affordable health care and lowering costs for families my top priority in Congress. That’s why I voted to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month and introduced legislation to provide relief at the gas pump for Illinoisans burdened by greedy oil companies making record profits by gouging the American people. Also, I’m pleased to say that my legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act was signed into law under President Biden as part of the American Rescue Plan, assuring that no American will pay more than 8.5% of their income on health care plans and saving families an average of $2,400 on premiums.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
Accessibility and transparency are core values to my work. My office has held 35 town halls in all seven counties, 49 open office hours, 91 community events, and hosted 24 Facebook Live events with community guests.
