Illinois 17th District Congressman Eric Sorensen, who resides in Moline, spoke with WVIK's Morning Edition Host Joseph Leahy about the Farm Bill, his election win, tariffs and more. District 17 encompasses the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria and Bloomington.
The interview, which took place on Dec. 5th, has been edited for clarity.
Joseph Leahy: Congressman, thank you so much for your time today.
Representative Eric Sorensen: Great to be with you, Joe.
Leahy: Okay. So, okay, so our district, which branches from Moline, Rock Island to Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington, gave you, a Democrat, a bigger margin of victory last month than your first run in 2022. So how do you interpret your win here in light of widespread losses for Democrats nationwide?
Rep. Sorensen: You know, look, first and foremost, I think most people will tell you that this isn't a bipartisan part of the country. It's a nonpartisan part of the country. And I think this election was so important because people recognized that, you know, we got to know Eric Sorensen because he was our weatherman. And now more people are saying Eric Sorensen was our weatherman, and now he's our congressman. And he deserves the job because he's doing right by all of the people, not just the people that voted for him. And I think that's a lesson as we go forward as Democrats, you know, how we go and build back that majority. I have confidence in two years we will have a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. And a lot of that is going to be because of the work, Joe, that we've done just here this year in calendar year 2024. I don't see this as a mandate on the other side. Instead, we need to continue to work for the benefit of working people. It is the middle class of America that we need to make sure that they understand that we're in that fight for them.
Leahy: Okay. So I think the new Congress is sworn in January 3rd, I believe.
Rep. Sorensen: Right.
Leahy: So what are the top priorities that Congress needs to address first during the new session?
Rep. Sorensen: I mean, look, it's making sure that we are funding the government. But then also I am going to look closely at the Farm Bill. You know, I'm so proud to sit on the House Agriculture Committee, where we have been able to work to get a bipartisan Farm Bill. I was a yes vote for the Farm Bill to get it out of the committee. I wanted to get it to the floor of the House before we had this Republican trifecta. I thought that was going to give us the best chance of doing what was right, not just for our farmers, but for our environment. But look, it's going to take more hard work because this can is going to get kicked. And we have to make sure that we are focused on a bipartisan Farm Bill. And I will work with my Republican colleagues in House Agriculture to make sure that we're doing that. We have to get that Farm Bill out the door.
Leahy: I specifically can ask you, how concerned are you about President-elect Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexican imports in light of John Deere's manufacturing operations down there?
Rep. Sorensen: I mean, look, Canada and Mexico are our top trading partners. Adding a 25 percent tax means that everything that you buy is going to cost 25 percent more. Oil, a lot of the oil that becomes the gas that we put in our gas tanks, that comes from Canada. So that means the gas prices are going to go up in the Midwest. I think we're going to see a lot of business executives stay holed up here. I mean, especially with John Deere. John Deere has had a presence in Mexico since 1950. This isn't a new thing. But we certainly need to make sure that the parts that are made in Mexico can get to East Moline to put together the harvester. Because now what's going to happen is a million-dollar harvester is going to be $1.3 million. And that's not sustainable for Deere and Company. And so we do need to push back against those. I'm all for finding, you know, government waste. Right. But adding tariffs just adds more of a burden on the consumer.
Leahy: I see. So you mentioned you sit on the House Agriculture Committee. But you also are on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Are you expecting to keep those assignments or hoping to gain any other assignments in the new session?
Rep. Sorensen: Well, first and foremost, I plan on being on the Agriculture Committee because we live in the capital of agriculture in the world. People have to understand that. If there is any congressional district in the country that is the capital of agriculture, it is this one. It is the home to Precision Planting. It is the home to Deere and Company. It is the hometown of John Deere. We have a world presence. And so being on the Agriculture Committee, I'm so proud of especially because that's where Congresswoman Cherri Bustos sat for 10 years of her term. I'm so proud to have been on the Space Science and Technology Committee, being the ranking member on space. We're doing some incredible things that will take us back to the lunar surface. But going forward, I also believe that we in western Illinois need a presence to make sure that the Rock Island Arsenal has everything that it needs to survive because it dates back to the 1860s, before John Deere. You know, we've got the Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island office. You know, we've got such a presence with the National Guard in Peoria. And so for that reason, I have put forth a letter to move from science to the House Armed Services Committee. Armed Services is going to be so important, especially in the 119th Congress, to make sure that we are readying our military for what is next. That also means that we're making sure that there is a minimum work that will be at the Arsenal. You can't ramp up from zero. You've got to ramp up from a binary number. And so it is making sure that we're supporting our men and women in uniform in our district. So I'm happy and I'm hopeful that I'll be selected to be on the House Armed Services Committee.
Leahy: Okay. Yeah, we'll be keeping an eye on that next month to see how the committee assignments shake out. So this being the end of your freshman term, I'm wondering what have you learned about government and governing now that you've, you know, kind of seen it firsthand? Is there anything surprising or eye-opening that you experienced in Washington, D.C., that might inform your approach moving forward?
Rep. Sorensen: I'll tell you, I, you know, I doubted myself a lot when I was running for Congress, you know, because there wasn't a meteorologist there. There wasn't someone that came from my background to Capitol Hill. However, you know, one of the things that I personally, I feel every day is my previous job, it helped me become a good legislator. And the reason being is for so many years I got to know the people that I served, the people that needed me, they trusted me. You know, I'm cognizant today that, you know, there's most members of Congress on Capitol Hill. They don't push a grocery cart, which means they're not talking to anyone at a grocery store. You know, and so as I go forward, it is taking those things, remaining humble, and also remaining steadfast that I don't work for anyone. I don't work for a corporation. I don't work for a political party. I work for the people. And that's why every time someone calls my office or stops me if I'm eating dinner at Parkside on a pork tenderloin with fries, I welcome that. Right. Because it's not, I don't want to hear I'm doing a good job. I want to hear, hey, these are the things that I want you to do for me.
Leahy: In the time we have left, I'm just wondering if you have any plans for celebrating the holidays in the Quad Cities? I'm still new to the area and, you know, wondering what's fun to do in the Quad Cities at this time of year?
Rep. Sorensen: Well, first of all, we need more snow. We've had the cold. Now it looks like there'll be warmer temperatures. You know, here's another thing is I still am a meteorologist, right?
Leahy: Right.
Rep. Sorensen: So we've got warmer temperatures. So maybe the chance of a white Christmas is less than 50-50. But I really hope that Snow Star is able to get open. They've been making snow. That's another great place that I really like to go because you're able to ride that chairlift for about two or three minutes with another person in our community. And so those are the things I'm looking forward to. Spending time with my partner, Sean, before he comes back to Washington, D.C. with me. On January 3rd, which will be swearing in to the 119th Congress. So I'm just so honored that I will just have a little family break, but then be able to get right back to work.
Leahy: Very good. Congressman Eric Sorensen, thanks very much for your time today. I hope we can catch up again soon after the new session begins next month.
Rep. Sorensen: I look forward to it. Thank you, Joseph.
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