Lauren Underwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lauren Underwood
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018
|
|
| Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
|
| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Debbie Dingell Matt Cartwright Ted Lieu |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 14th district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Randy Hultgren |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lauren Ashley Underwood
October 4, 1986 Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Michigan (BSN) Johns Hopkins University (MSN, MPH) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Lauren Ashley Underwood (born October 4, 1986) is an American politician and a registered nurse. She serves as a U.S. representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Her district covers the western suburbs of Chicago, including towns like DeKalb and Joliet.
Underwood grew up in Naperville, Illinois. She studied nursing at the University of Michigan. She also earned two master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University. In 2014, she started working in government policy during the Obama administration. She later became a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
In 2018, Lauren Underwood was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She won against the Republican leader, Randy Hultgren. When she took office, she became the youngest Black woman to serve in Congress. In 2022, she was chosen as a co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. This made her the first Black woman to hold an elected leadership role in the House Democratic Caucus since Shirley Chisholm in the 1970s.
A big part of her work in Congress focuses on healthcare. She is especially interested in making sure everyone has fair access to healthcare. She also works to improve health for mothers and babies.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Illinois
Lauren Underwood was born on October 4, 1986, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. Her family moved to Naperville, Illinois, when she was three years old. She grew up there and went to Neuqua Valley High School, graduating in 2004.
Lauren was a Girl Scout from kindergarten and is still a member today. When she was eight, she was diagnosed with a heart condition. This personal experience later helped shape her strong interest in health policy.
College and Advanced Degrees
From 2003 to 2004, she worked on the City of Naperville's Fair Housing Advisory Commission. In 2008, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she took a class on nursing and politics. She has said this class "changed her life" and inspired her to work in healthcare policy. She also joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
In 2009, she received two master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Health.
Career in Public Service
Working in Healthcare Policy
In 2014, Lauren Underwood became a senior advisor at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she helped put the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into action. This law aimed to make health insurance more affordable and available to many Americans.
Starting in 2017, Underwood worked as a senior director at Next Level Health. She also taught as an instructor at the Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.
Serving in Congress
Becoming a U.S. Representative
2018 Election Campaign
In August 2017, Lauren Underwood announced she would run for the United States House of Representatives. Her main goals included improving the Affordable Care Act. She also wanted to create more job opportunities and improve roads and bridges. Another important issue for her was paid family leave. In March 2018, she won the Democratic primary election with 57% of the votes.
In the main election, Underwood ran against the current Republican representative, Randy Hultgren. During a public debate, Underwood explained why she decided to run. She said it was because Hultgren had voted to change the Affordable Care Act. She felt this change would make it harder for people with existing health conditions, like her, to get affordable health coverage. She believes that healthcare is a basic human right.
Former president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden supported Underwood in her campaign. On November 6, 2018, she defeated Hultgren with 52.5% of the votes.
Reelection Campaigns
Lauren Underwood has been reelected several times. In 2020, she won her race against state senator Jim Oberweis. The election was very close, and it took nine days for the winner to be officially announced.
In 2022, she ran for reelection in the 14th district again. The district's boundaries had changed after new maps were drawn. She won the election with 54% of the vote.
In 2024, Lauren Underwood ran for reelection once more. She won against Republican Jim Marter with 55% of the vote.
Key Work in Congress
During her time in Congress, Lauren Underwood has focused on important issues. She has written four bills that became law. In 2019, she was recognized in the Time 100 Next list, which highlights rising leaders.
Underwood has spoken out about how migrants are treated at the border. She has expressed concerns about the well-being of children and families. She believes that everyone should be treated with kindness and respect.
In the 118th Congress, which started in 2023, Underwood was chosen for an important leadership role. She became a co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. She shares this role with Veronica Escobar and Dean Phillips.
Committee Roles
Lauren Underwood serves on important committees in Congress. For the 119th Congress, she is part of the Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the government spends money.
Within this committee, she works on several subcommittees:
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security (where she is the Ranking Member, meaning she is the top member from the minority party)
Groups She Belongs To
Lauren Underwood is also a member of several groups in Congress that focus on specific issues:
See also
In Spanish: Lauren Underwood para niños
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
