WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a potential uphill climb in a new Congress, one Peoria-area legislator believes he can still get work done in Washington.
17th District Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) spoke to the media on Wednesday to lay out his second term in the U.S. House. Sorensen defeated Joe McGraw (R-Rockford) in November to win another term in Congress.
Sorensen will be a representative in a Washington that is controlled by Republicans for, at least, the next two years. The GOP retained control of the U.S. House in November’s elections, while taking control of the Senate and the White House.
Sorensen says he worked with a divided Congress in his first term, but his mindset remains the same.
“It’s working with anyone, whether they’re Republican or Democrat or Independent, to tackle the real challenges that we have to build safe communities, stronger communities, and more resilient hometowns,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen says some of those things he believes can be accomplished is gaining bipartisan support on water infrastructure bills, as well as prioritizing commodities and assisting U.S. farmers with crop insurance. He spoke out for saving Social Security and Medicare, saying those were “non-negotiable” to give people back what they earned.
Other items Sorensen wants to focus on include finding ways to lower the cost of living, and working on a farm bill.
Sorensen also spoke on recent comments by President-elect Donald Trump. Trump recently spoke out against the building of new wind farms in the country.
The Congressman says windmills and wind farms should not be a “political issue” as it provides, not only environmental benefits, but economic benefits, especially for farmers who host windmills on their land.
“When you’re dealt a bad deal of cards in a drought or flood, there’s going to be that supplemental income,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen says windmills can also provide union jobs to build them.
The Congressman also came out against Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs, saying it would have a negative impact on farmers in his district, as well as John Deere.
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