Lauren Underwood’s closing arguments for U.S. House, IL-14

As voters continue heading to election booths and casting their ballots, here is a refresher on where candidates for US. House of Representatives, IL-14, stand on the important issues facing our nation.

The congressional district includes towns such as Yorkville, Oswego, Plano, Plainfield, Aurora, Joliet, and Naperville. The incumbent, Rep. Lauren Underwood, D – Naperville, is being challenged by Jim Marter, the Republican nominee.

What does comprehensive immigration reform look like to you? Does this include changing the asylum process or the temporary protected status program?

Since our America’s founding, immigrants have been vital to our cultural vibrancy and economic success. Our immigration system must honor and recognize the value and dignity of all of our immigrant communities.

This current system is deeply broken – we need comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders, protects our workers, unites families and offers hardworking immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Comprehensive immigration reform will strengthen and grow our economy, update an asylum program that has been inundated with applicants, and invest in border security solutions that will keep Americans safe from transnational criminal organizations and terrorist threats.

In Congress, I’ve supported bipartisan legislation to protect and provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who spent most of their lives in the United States. Our immigration policies must work for all of us – and to do that we need to enact comprehensive immigration reforms, like those outlined in the US Citizenship Act, which will improve border security and improve our immigration system, offering clarity, efficiency, and better facilitate trade and commerce.

As of this spring, I serve as the top democrat on the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. As an Appropriator, I have proudly worked with colleagues across the aisle to advance necessary federal funding to secure the border – and we have been able to get these funding bills signed into law, despite the daily chaos of MAGA extremism in the House of Representatives and the complete dysfunction in the United States Senate. In fact, we have reached bipartisan agreement and secured significant increases in funding to support border security operations every year. Our bipartisan success in appropriations is how I know that it is possible to get comprehensive immigration reform across the finish line – we can do it!

Playing politics with the border, denying the American people the reforms we all know are needed, and underfunding border operations is not leadership. It’s inexcusable. We can and must do better.

Following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, what steps, if any, would you like to see Congress take? Do you believe any actions should be taken regarding IVF?

I support the unrestricted right to the full range of reproductive health care services, which includes access to safe, legal and affordable abortion care. And in Congress, I have voted to protect our reproductive freedom. The stakes could not be higher because extreme Republicans promise to pass a federal abortion ban, blocking the protections Illinois has already put in place. These extremists have published their plans in Trump’s Project 2025, a manifesto that outlines their policy proposals to ban abortion, ban contraception and even ban fertility services like IVF. When enforcing these bans, the MAGA extremists want to control and punish women, no matter what state they live in.

My opponent Jim Marter refuses to condemn a nationwide abortion ban. He refuses to speak up for women seeking live-saving health care. He believes his faith should dictate when and how the American people can start and grow their families. We cannot let him win.

There is no doubt that reproductive freedom is under threat from extreme MAGA republicans who want to control women. After the Supreme Court’s devastating 2022 Dobbs decision, states across the country began advancing policies to limit access to fertility services like IVF. This made national news when Alabama became the first state to completely eliminate access to this essential healthcare service earlier this year.

Congress must act swiftly to ensure nationwide access to fertility services like IVF are protected. Services like IVF should be affordable and covered by health plans. Providers should not be faced with criminal prosecution and jail time for doing their jobs and helping patients and families.

What should Congress’ priorities be regarding the economy? Do you recommend any actions regarding housing prices?

Lowering costs for working families means we must address the rising costs of housing across northern Illinois. The cost of rent, and purchasing a home has risen out of reach for too many people and I support legislation to increase affordable housing in our community, offer financial incentives and downpayment assistance to purchase homes and reform the way property taxes are deducted from federal taxes.

First-time homebuyers often struggle with high interest rates, driving up borrowing costs. I am happy to see the Fed taking action to reduce interest rates for American consumers. Programs to offer downpayment assistance, whether as a grant or tax credit, are an important part of ensuring that all Americans can build wealth through homeownership and is a key piece of my work as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus to grow economic opportunity for working families.

What actions should Congress take to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare? Do you support any changes to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security?

Ensuring access to high-quality, affordable health care remains a top focus of mine. Together, we’ve made great progress to lower out of pocket costs for families. For example, my legislation lowering the cost of health care coverage was signed into law and thanks to these new, low cost plans, in 2023, we saw the lowest number of uninsured Americans in US history. We also secured $35 insulin for seniors and have finally allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs.

We must protect and defend Social Security and Medicare. These critical earned benefits are the foundation of America’s retirement system. Social Security has allowed generations of Americans to retire with dignity and remains a financial lifeline for seniors across the 14th District. That’s why Trump’s Project 2025 is such a betrayal – the former President and his extremist allies in the Congress are trying to cut benefits and raise the retirement age, thereby ending Social Security and Medicare as we know them.

I support legislation like Social Security 2100 to expand benefits for current retirees and protect the program for future generations. This legislation would increase the monthly payments for seniors by requiring the highest income earners to pay their fair share into Social Security. Importantly the legislation would also eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for many seniors in our community.

To strengthen Medicare we must expand the list of products eligible for price negotiation. I was so proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act – an important new law that allows seniors on Medicare to access life-saving insulin for just $35 a month and finally allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs. As we continue to lower prescription drug costs for seniors by expanding the list of medications subject to price negotiation, we must also protect seniors from extreme Republican plans to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and these critically important protections.

What does peace in Gaza look like to you and do you support continued military shipments to Israel? Should Congress continue providing support to Ukraine and do you support Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO?

I think we need an immediate, negotiated ceasefire in Gaza. I support the Biden administration’s actions to continue to bring the Israelis to the table, as they have been the more reluctant party as of late. I do not support the expansion of this war, and I hope that the violence at large stops. We need to have peace in the Middle East. I think people will include rebuilding Gaza. Peace would include returning all remaining hostages to their families. Peace would include a two-state solution so that the Palestinian people have rights.

Ukraine is a sovereign nation, so they’re defending their freedom. We’re not defending their freedom. They’re defending their freedom. They’re defending their country. They’re defending their borders. They’re defending their people. And that’s a decision for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian government to design.

Do you think the 2020 Presidential Election was free and fair? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection? What will you do if Trump loses and claims the election was stolen?

Political violence is never acceptable. In the United States of America, we should be able to debate and discuss policy disagreements. The rising politically-motivated threats, intimidation and horrific acts are inconsistent with our shared values as Americans, and I fully reject all manifestations of political violence.

A peaceful transition of power is the hallmark of American democracy and I will certainly do my part to facilitate a peaceful transition no matter who wins the 2024 presidential election.