Congressman Sorensen featured at Peoria labor roundtable

First-term Congressman Eric Sorensen of Illinois 17^th District recalled the first time he walked to the lectern in the House of Representatives, feeling like a rookie. But he persevered and, appropriately, spoke out in support of the PRO Act (The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act), which previously passed the House in 2020 and 2021 but stalled in the Senate. It’s now in the GOP-majority House’s Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Speaking Aug. 28 at a Labor Roundtable hosted by Operating Engineers Local 649 and co-sponsored by the West Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council and the Labor Council of West Central Illinois, the Moline Democrat commented on his philosophy on representing the sprawling Congressional District running from Rockford through the Quad Cities and Peoria to Bloomington/Normal.

“How can we advocate for the worker and help build here in central Illinois?” asked the 47-year-old member of House committees on Science, Space and Technology and on Agriculture. “Everything I do as the Congressman in the 17th Congressional District has to be an investment in the future. It’s how we can spend our hard-earned federal tax dollars here today that’s going to benefit us in the future.”

Sorensen was introduced by Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea, who praised recent federal achievements and reminded the dozens of unionists present of challenges ahead.

“We’ve seen the Infrastructure law, the CHIPS act, the Inflation Reduction Act all passed,” Drea said. “Now we have to make sure labor’s voice is heard in Congress and keep working for better wages, health care and retirement security – especially Social Security.”

Sorensen agreed and mentioned short-term challenges Congress will face this month when it returns to Washington to finish legislation before Oct. 1, such as the Farm Bill and the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

Part of the budget process is in the Appropriations Committee, Sorensen said, which considers Members Community Project Funding requests.

“I’ve made 15 CPF requests, and 14 were accepted for consideration,” he said.

He’s also working to secure funding for the ambitious Lock and Dam upgrades to modernize the Illinois and Mississippi rivers for barge traffic, he said.

Conceding that there are some obstructionist Republicans who’d like to “shut everything down,” Sorensen said he tries to emphasize constituents more than ideology.

“I work across the aisle. Every bill I’ve had has had a Republican co-sponsor,” he said. “There are some extremists who put politics in front of people actually doing the work.

“When have we ever made good decisions in anger,” he continued. “We need to talk about politics less and more about our values. That’s’ different than the politics of division.

“It’s important for [union] members to vote on their livelihoods,” added Sorensen, who’s also on the Congressional Labor Caucus.

Drea applauded that approach, and urged those at the roundtable to “make sure members know what candidates stand for.”

State labor federation Political Director Bill Looby said the 17^th District is a union-dense district, with some 100,000 registered voters from union households.

“We’re going to make sure labor union families know what Eric does and what he stands for.”

Wrapping up the discussion and question-answer period,” Sorensen said, “I’m glad you have my back. I have yours.”