Congressman Eric Sorensen visits East Moline AmVets

The tables at the East Moline American Veterans Center were filled with vets Tuesday as Congressman Eric Sorensen listened to their concerns.

The roundtable offered veterans a chance to discuss the challenges they face and needs in the community. Sorensen said it is crucial to give these voices an opportunity because they fuel how he advocates in Congress.

"We constantly have to bring veterans to the table so we can understand how I can advocate for the most important constituents that I have," he said.

Last year Sorensen, a Democrat who represents Illinois' 17th District, introduced the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act, which would increase grant awards for disabled veterans to modify their homes to fit their needs. It would grant $10,000 for veterans with a service-connected disability and $5,000 for those with disabilities that are not service-connected.

One of the veterans Sorensen spoke with was Mike Malmstrom, a Marine reserve vet who served from 1972-1980. Malmstrom has been the commander of the East Moline AmVets for 22 years and was glad to host the congressman.

The room was full of familiar faces, but also a few he didn't recognize, he said. That part was encouraging, because it means veterans want their voices heard and know Sorensen was there to take in what they had to say in order to take that back to Washington.

Malmstrom said Sorensen's office reached out about a sit down and he was more than happy to facilitate. Knowing there is a local elected official that is willing to listen, understand and work on behalf of veterans raises confidence when it comes to knowing there is an advocate in Washington.

"Being a non-vet himself, I applaud him for looking out and reaching out and seeing what our issues are so he can take those back to Congress," he said.

The round-table discussion was attended by representatives from various veterans organizations in the Quad-Cities who brought together ideas, concerns and solutions. Malmstrom said he felt the meeting was a success and that it will lead to a positive outcome.

"I think today was very positive. I think people were able to get things off their chest concerning the VA and their issues and I think it was a big benefit," he said.