Sorensen, Ag Committee member, concerned about lack of a new Farm Bill

A Congressman representing this area and parts of western and central Illinois says he still wants to see a new Farm Bill passed, even if no one else does.

17th District Democrat Eric Sorensen says lawmakers in Congress have tried in recent years to get a Farm Bill up for a vote in both chambers, but it just hasn’t gotten as far as he or they would like.

“Right now, we’re still running on the 2018 Farm Bill,” said Sorensen (D-East Moline).  “We were late in 2023 — couldn’t get it done.  Didn’t put it over the finish line.  Didn’t start it.  It’s like we didn’t start our homework.  And here we are, in 2024, and we’re a year late.  And, farmers need this.”

The 2018 Farm Bill expired in September 2023, but was extended through the end of this September.

Being in an election year, Sorensen — a member of the House Agriculture Committee — says Congress is likely to continue kicking the Farm Bill down the road to 2025.

Sorensen says he’s more than willing to work in a bipartisan fashion to get a new Farm Bill passed.

“I was one of only four Democrats who voted for the thing,” said Sorensen.  “Why did I do that, as a Democrat?  I didn’t go to Congress to be a Democratic member.  I went Congress to represent our farm families.  And, they told me while it’s not perfect, it’s good enough.  If they tell me it’s good enough, how could I ever vote it down?”