Latest news with #LaurenUnderwood
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Construction begins on project to supply Lake Michigan water to southwest suburbs
CHICAGO — Construction is set to begin on a project to supply Lake Michigan water to the far southwest suburbs. This project was first started in 2018 when the Illinois State Water Survey came out, showing that the well water that many of the southwest suburbs rely on would not be enough for the future. This is going be a 60-mile pipeline that connects the Chicago water supply to six cities and villages, which include Joliet, Crest Hill, Channahon, Minooka, Romeoville and Shorewood. The cost of the project is about $1.44 billion. While Congress has allocated a few million dollars in grants for its construction so far, a bulk of this money is going to be coming from low interest loans from the government, as well as bonds being issued by the Grand Prairie Water Commission, which was formed by the six communities. 'Projects like this one are not just about modernizing aging water infrastructure. It's an investment in our families, business, economy and future. It's an investment that pays off,' said US Rep. Lauren Underwood. 'For the first time in over three decades, we are establishing a direct connection of new water costumers which will provide six more cities with fresh, high quality drinking water,' said Randy Conner, the Commissioner of the Department of Water Management for the City of Chicago. This project is expected to take about five years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dems gear up for midterms: ‘The last time they cut Medicaid, we booked the House'
On Thursday, House Republicans narrowly passed a budget plan that would remove health care coverage for nearly 14 million Americans on Medicare and Medicaid, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood joins 'The Weekend' to discuss how Democrats plan to make this a defining issue in the midterms.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Rep. Lauren Underwood won't be running for Dick Durbin's Senate seat
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) said Monday that she will not be running for the U.S. Senate seat set to be vacated by Dick Durbin. Underwood explained her decision on CNN Monday afternoon. "So when I reflected on the way I could best serve families in Illinois and around the country, I really decided to stay in the House of Representatives and in leadership, and to help the D-Trip [DCCC, or Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] as we seek to reclaim the majority," Underwood said in an interview with CNN political correspondent Kasie Hunt. Already, two of Underwood's U.S. House colleagues, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) have each announced they are running for Durbin's seat — as has Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
Washington Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Homeland Security looks to buy a new $50M jet for secretary and Coast Guard officials
The Department of Homeland Security wants to spend about $50 million to buy a new long-range Gulfstream jet to replace an aging one used by Secretary Kristi Noem and top Coast Guard and DHS officials. The request for funding, to come from the Coast Guard's 2025 fiscal year budget, came up during a House appropriations subcommittee meeting on Wednesday. Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois said she was 'horrified' to receive a 'last-minute addition' to the service's budget proposal for the jet, noting Noem has another Gulfstream to use. 'We should be investing in our national security and improving the lives of our Coasties — not wasting taxpayer dollars on luxury travel and political stunts,' Underwood, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, said in a social media post. The Coast Guard is overseen by DHS. The request for a new jet comes as President Donald Trump considers accepting a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar. Adm. Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant, said the Coast Guard, like the other military services, operates two military 'long-range command and control aircraft' and the one being replaced is more than 20 years old. 'Like a lot of the rest of our operational aviation fleet and our cutters and our boats and our shore facilities, it's old and it's approaching obsolescence and the end of its service life,' he said during the hearing. 'The avionics are increasingly obsolete. The communications are increasingly unreliable, and it is in need of recapitalization like much of the fleet.' Lunday, who became acting commandant on Jan. 21 after Trump, a Republican, fired Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan , said the jet is needed to provide the DHS secretary, deputy secretary, himself, the acting vice commandant and two area commanders with 'secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward.' The current plane is also 'outside the Gulfstream's service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,' Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a written statement, calling its replacement 'a matter of safety.' The agency did not immediately respond to questions about Noem's use of the plane or other details about the agency's request. The Coast Guard received its other long-range command and control C-37B aircraft in 2022, saying at the time its mission was to 'operate as a command and control platform anywhere in the world for the secretary of Homeland Security, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and other top DHS leadership.' That jet, which has a range of 5,000 nautical miles and can carry 12 people, is based at Coast Guard Air Station Washington, D.C.
Toronto Star
15-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Homeland Security looks to buy a new $50M jet for secretary and Coast Guard officials
The Department of Homeland Security wants to spend about $50 million to buy a new long-range Gulfstream jet to replace an aging one used by Secretary Kristi Noem and top Coast Guard and DHS officials. The request for funding, to come from the Coast Guard's 2025 fiscal year budget, came up during a House appropriations subcommittee meeting on Wednesday. Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois said she was 'horrified' to receive a 'last-minute addition' to the service's budget proposal for the jet, noting Noem has another Gulfstream to use.
