Hi friend,
I'm now two weeks into my first term as your representative in Illinois 17th District, so I wanted to take a quick break in what's expected to be a busy week to share some updates and reflections from Washington.
After being sworn in, my team and I quickly looked toward how we can best serve our constituents and move the country forward -- and we are under no illusion that this job will be easy.
Republicans control the House, and they’ve already set a very disturbing tone. For starters, Kevin McCarthy was forced to cave to extraordinary demands from extremists like Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene to become Speaker. Their first order of business? A bill to help tax cheats avoid paying their share. Then late last week, Kevin McCarthy stated his intention to go after Medicare and Social Security before raising the debt ceiling.
Things seem chaotic, but for our part, we’re staying laser-focused on cutting through the noise to make progress for IL-17. I'll work with anyone -- Democrats and Republicans -- if it means passing good legislation. And I've already made inroads with my colleagues here in Illinois and beyond. That's what it's going to take to make progress, and the good news that we have proof that progress is possible:
Last week, I was back in Bloomington-Normal to celebrate $15.8 million in federal funding allocated for electric vehicles for Connect Transit as a part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As a meteorologist, I know how important it is that we replace our aging bus fleets with zero emission options -- this bipartisan funding will do just that.
This is what I’m referring to when I talk about making good investments that will grow our economy, increase sustainable jobs, and keep our communities connected.
I look forward to continuing to deliver for our district and, as always, I'm grateful to have you by my side. If you'd like to support our efforts toward progress, send in a donation to help us keep this seat blue. You can donate directly online here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/es-q1-2023
Sincerely,
Eric Sorensen
