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Lauren Underwood          

Illinois Congresswoman; Youngest & First Black Woman to Represent her District in Congress

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood serves Illinois’ 14th Congressional District and was sworn in on January 3, 2019. She is the first woman, person of color, and millennial to represent her community in Congress.

Rep. Underwood is a registered nurse, co-founder, and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which addresses America’s Black Maternal Health crisis in Congress and advances policy solutions to improve maternal health outcomes and end disparities. Rep. Underwood is Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and serves on the House Committee on Appropriations.

Prior to her election to Congress, she served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), helping communities across the country prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, bioterror threats, and public health emergencies. As a career public servant at HHS, she also helped implement the Affordable Care Act, broadening access for those on Medicare, improving health care quality, and reforming private insurance. Rep. Underwood has taught future nurse practitioners through Georgetown University’s online master’s program and worked with a Medicaid plan in Chicago to ensure it provided high-quality, cost-efficient care.

She graduated from the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University and has been a lifelong Girl Scout. Rep. Underwood resides in Naperville, Illinois.

News


Lauren Underwood Is the Future
The youngest Black woman in Congress has pulled off not one, but two, miraculous wins in a purple district. What’s her secret? Talking to people and making them feel heard, no matter how wide the divide.

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