PEORIA, Ill. – Constituents of Illinois’ 17th Congressional district met at Peoria’s Woodruff Career and Technical Center Tuesday night for a town hall almost entirely focused on Trump Administration policies.
Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 hosted the event to learn how U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) intends to fight back against the president’s plan to dismantle federal departments, including the Department of Education.
Teachers, parents, and everyday constituents shared their thoughts with Sorensen to ensure he’s aware of their concerns.
More than a dozen people filled out index cards to pick Sorensen’s brain on topics from union protections and the war in Ukraine, to education.
“It’s reassuring them that I’m up for the task, that I’m going to be here, I’m going to do the job here, and then I’m going to go make the votes that make the difference for them in Washington,” Sorensen said.
According to 25 News, immigration uncertainty and LGBTQ+ concerns were also part of the conversation.
Sorensen is the first congressman from Illinois to publicly acknowledge he is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It doesn’t matter what you believe, who you pray to, or who your partner is; we include you because these are American values. What’s happening here is you have an administration that wants to separate us,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen believes the change people at the town hall want to see starts by talking to their neighbors. He said it’s a tactic he tries to use at the Capitol when he talks to colleagues across the aisle on the Republican side.
“It’s the coalition that we need, so I like to say, stop talking about politics altogether, but start talking about what we value, because if we don’t start talking about what we value, then it’s going to go away,” Sorensen said.
The teachers’ union also inquired about conducting a similar town hall with U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap), who represents the 16th District. The union said it has not received a response.
Comments