AFGE Endorses Illinois' Lauren Underwood for Congress

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Lauren Underwood for the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois' 14^th Congressional District.

"Lauren Underwood is a registered nurse and former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Her firsthand experience allows her to stand shoulder to shoulder with federal employees," AFGE District 7 National Vice President Dorothy James said.

"Lauren Underwood firmly believes that we should fairly compensate federal employees and retirees for their tireless work to serve the public. She supports legislation to provide a much-needed pay increase to all federal employees next year while strongly opposing the budget cuts, buyouts, and hostile work environments that federal employees are experiencing under the Trump administration," James added.

"Lauren Underwood's personal experience at HHS, in particular her work to implement the Affordable Care Act, will serve her well in Congress, where she has pledged to propose measures that will preserve and expand access to quality health care for Illinois families and their children," she said.

Nearly 80,000 federal employees live in Illinois ? supporting the military, caring for veterans, ensuring the safety of the flying public, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time. There are nearly 26,300 current and retired federal workers in the 14^th Congressional District.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. District 7 has nearly 20,000 dues-paying members in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees