Underwood grilled in DeKalb over Gaza ceasefire talks, aid to tribe in reclaiming land

DeKALB – With topics ranging from climate change to health care and national debt, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, answered questions from more than 25 attendees during the third of four planned summer town halls Thursday evening at DeKalb High School.

The congresswoman, who was first elected to represent Illinois’ 14th Congressional District in 2018, began the meeting with opening remarks summarizing what she’s accomplished in her time in office, including 18 pieces of her legislation signed into law under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

“A lot of people think that Congress is exclusively focused on national issues, but a big part of my job is making sure that we’re meeting the needs of our communities,” Underwood said. “You are all valued members of our community, and my work in Congress is informed by constituents like you. I’ve held over 55 town halls since I was first elected. I’ve hosted and attended more than 300 community events. I’ve returned more than $25 million to people in our community who needed help with their Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, passports, Small Business Administration loans and collection money that they were owed by the IRS.”

Underwood then opened up the floor for questions from the public.

Two attendees of the town hall meeting questioned her about the U.S. Department of Interior’s decision in April to place 130 acres owned by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation into a trust, making it the first federally recognized reservation in Illinois.

Underwood also has sponsored legislation, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, that would allow the Potawatomi Nation to acquire 1,280 additional acres of land, largely made up of Shabbona State Park, in compensation for what the Potawatomi Nation has long held was an illegal acquisition of the land by the U.S. government 173 years ago.

A lot of people think that Congress is exclusively focused on national issues, but a big part of my job is making sure that we’re meeting the needs of our communities.”

—  U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood

Indian Creek School District 425 Superintendent Chad Willis asked whether Underwood had contacted the Illinois State Board of Education to assess the financial impact of this legislation on the affected school districts and, if so, what their response was.

“According to an email that I received today from ISBE ... Indian Creek will not receive any additional funding from the state,” Willis said Thursday. “According to ISBE, Indian Creek will lose approximately $825,000 annually.”

Underwood said the letter outlined the effect of the U.S. Department of Interior’s decision, not her legislation. She said she has not talked to the state Board of Education about a cost projection for the bill.

Willis also referenced a letter that Underwood’s team handed out at a recent public meeting that raised concerns for him.

[ Read more: U.S. Rep. Underwood talks federal tribal legislation with some concerned Shabbona residents ]

“The installation of a Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation should not significantly affect public schools,” Willis said, quoting the letter. “It says reservations are exempt from property taxes. This may decrease the tax base for schools situated on or near the land. In instances like this, the state often implements funding formulas that allocate additional education funds to impacted local public school districts to compensate for the reduced local tax revenue.”

A DeKalb woman questioned Underwood’s role in the federal government’s response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“You have power in our government to advocate for an arms embargo,” Shrestha Singh said. said. “You’re a senior member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee. I want to support you. I don’t know if I can trust you to advocate for those in the community when you haven’t taken [a] really morally courageous stance on this. ... I think so many voters have lost faith in the Democratic establishment. What would you say to the Palestinians in DeKalb County who are begging for an arms embargo?”

In response, Underwood said she’s doing her part.

“On Oct. 7, I was among the first members of Congress to call for a ceasefire,” Underwood said. “I think that this conflict has got to stop. I’m not going to tell you you haven’t seen what you’ve seen happening in Gaza is devastating. It is unacceptable. It is very clear to me that [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is a very challenging individual who does not seek the end of the conflict the way that we do.

“I have been very pleased that President Biden has been so firm in seeking a negotiated ceasefire, and I hope that that happens urgently. I have been so encouraged by the news reports of progress being made. With respect to the funding, I have supported the federal bills to offer security assistance to Israel. I believe that we have to keep our commitments to our allies, particularly given the significant regional threats that are always around for the state of Israel.”

This story was updated at 6:37 p.m. Aug. 19, 2024, to correct an earlier version that misquoted DeKalb resident Shrestha Singh.