Lauren Underwood

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat, championed her healthcare and homeland security agenda during the latest stop in her summer town hall series on Tuesday at Oswego East High School.

Underwood represents Illinois’ 14th Congressional District which includes parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties,

Underwood was met by constituents this week for the 82nd town hall that she’s hosted in her time in Congress. She is in the middle of her fourth term in office.

Underwood noted her promise to those that she serves.

“As a nurse, I came to Congress to protect and expand access to affordable health,” Underwood said.

Since taking office in 2019, Underwood has helped bring $1.7 billion in federal funding to her district. Underwood said she is working to bring home $30 million more.

She touted the 19 pieces of legislation that she’s had signed into law by both Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Underwood noted the passage of the Healthcare Affordability Act, which, in 2021, allowed expanded tax credits for the uninsured seeking coverage on the marketplace. That measure was not extended by Congress at the end of 2025.

Underwood said she believes not extending the tax credits was a step backward and led to millions of families paying higher costs for healthcare.

By contrast, Underwood pointed out the $152 billion funding increases for Immigration and Customs Enforcement included in the 2025 legislation President Trump and Republicans call the Big Beautiful Bill.

In June, Republicans passed another budget reconciliation bill giving $70 billion more to ICE, Customs and Border Protection and to the Department of Homeland Security.

Underwood, who sits on the subcommittee in charge of funding the Department of Homeland Security, acknowledged that ICE patrols are still happening throughout the country.

She said something has to give.

“I do not stop holding this administration accountable, and I do not believe that ICE or Customs and Border Protection should get another penny from Congress until there are significant reforms to these agencies,” Underwood said.

Underwood said she was able to take former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to task in past Congressional hearings thanks, in part, to support from her constituents. She also pointed to tough scrutiny the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons faced in House committee hearings in April.

Both Noem and Lyons have since vacated their positions.

“All of this work is informed by conversations just like this one,” Underwood said to those in attendance Tuesday night. “And I’ve worked so hard because I refuse to allow our community to be terrorized, brutalized and illegally occupied by a president who wants to be a king. None of us are safe from or more free because of what this administration is doing. It’s unacceptable.”

Questions the war with Iran

Underwood said she is looking out for her constituents’ interests not only at home, but also abroad as the nation grapples with the war in Iran.

“The American people do not want this war,” Underwood said. “Families in northern Illinois have made clear to me that they did not want this war. Eighteen brave service members have already lost their lives, and hundreds of that have also been injured.”

Underwood acknowledged that affordability is top of mind for many these days and the war is impacting that.

“Gas prices are pushing above $4 a gallon again, making the cost of living prices even worse for families but also for farmers in our community,” Underwood said.

It remains unclear why the U.S. initiated and remains in active military conflict with Iran.

“Donald Trump has not come before the American people or Congress to make a case about why we’re there,” Underwood said. “The war is unconstitutional, and it needs to end.”