Public Safety
I am grateful to the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to serve our communities. Unfortunately, many local departments are often working on strained budgets and lack the necessary equipment needed to adequately protect our neighborhoods.
As your Representative, I am taking strides to invest more into local law enforcement agencies to support their training needs, help them better retain and recruit officers, and build better relationships with the communities they serve.
More on Public Safety
WASHINGTON, DC – In recognition of National Police Week, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) led a group of 24 of his New Democrat Coalition colleagues in calling for full funding for critical public safety programs that provide resources to law enforcement agencies to protect communities. Sorensen’s advocacy on this issue is in direct response to roundtable discussions and meetings he has hosted with law enforcement from across Central and Northwestern Illinois.
On Monday, May 13, 2024, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to highlight $847,000 the two officials secured for a police training center in Winnebago County.
Winnebago County Chairman Joseph Chiarelli and Sheriff Gary Caruana participated in the event as well to discuss the project and the importance of the funding that will help train officers across Illinois.
On Monday, May 13, 2024, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) will join Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Winnebago County Chairman Joseph Chiarelli, and Sheriff Gary Caruana to announce $847,000 Sorensen secured for a new police training center. The investment will allow Winnebago County to purchase state-of-the-art training equipment for the facility and train officers from across Illinois.
Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) started police appreciation week a few days early with two events in the Quad-Cities.
On Friday, Sorensen met with city officials and leaders of local law enforcement to learn how he could bring federal assistance to local challenges.
Rep. Sorensen first visited QCOMM911, an emergency dispatch center located in Milan that provides 911 and radio services for four police departments and nine fire departments in Rock Island County.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17), along with Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03), introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster safety at schools within our communities. The Safe Schools and Communities Act will provide competitive grants to public schools to prevent human trafficking, improve drug abuse awareness, reduce gang activity, and end violence within our communities.
Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Illinois) is back from a bipartisan trip to the border.
The delegation of Democrats and Republican lawmakers went to Nogales, Arizona, last week for a fact-finding mission.
“This can’t be a partisan or political issue, right?” he said. “We have to make sure that we solve the issue regardless of the year it is, regardless of what the politics are. It is also important that we keep our politics out of this, and we focus on what is in front of us and what are the facts.”
Illinois Congressman Eric Sorenson (D) made a trip down to the Mexican border with five other representatives as part of a bipartisan fact-finding mission.
The trip was said to address four points: Mexico, as the U.S.’ largest trade partner; the establishment of legal migration into the country; taking care of individuals seeking asylum; and addressing drug smuggling and human trafficking.
Sorenson said the volume and danger of fentanyl being distributed in the United States has made drugs crossing the border a critical issue.
In a rare bipartisan visit to the southern border, Arizona Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R) and Greg Stanton (D) were joined by Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Young Kim (R-CA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), and Nick LaLota (R-NY) to tour the border and surrounding communities in Arizona and Nogales, Mexico, through the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Congressional Exchange (ACE). The purpose: to better understand the urgent challenges and opportunities for bipartisan cooperation on U.S. immigration and border policy.
On Saturday, April 13, 2024 Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) appeared on WREX to discuss what he is doing to secure the southern border and provide a pathway to legal status for those who follow the law.
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) appeared on WREX to discuss the introduction of his new bill, the bipartisan Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Establishment Act. This legislation will provide states with federal grants to help working families afford clean drinking water and wastewater services.
Sorensen also discussed what he is doing to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program and securing the border.