U.S. Rep. Sorensen to serve on agriculture, science committees

BLOOMINGTON — U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Rockford, announced his appointment to two House committees on Monday: the Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Sorensen, a former WQAD meteorologist, said in a news release that these appointments will put him in the best position to advocate his 17th Congressional District, which covers parts of northwest and central Illinois. The freshman lawmaker defeated East Moline attorney Esther Joy King in November for the seat, formerly held by retiring U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos. 

"On the Agriculture committee, I will be our farmers' trusted voice in Congress, making sure they have support to expand markets for their agricultural goods and ensure their way of live is sustainable for generations to come," Sorensen said. "On the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I will use my experience as a meteorologist to craft policies that will mitigate the negative impact extreme weather is having on our communities."

The House Agriculture Committee oversees policies and federal agencies responsible for agriculture, forestry, nutrition and rural development.

"Rep. Sorensen represents a diverse and highly productive congressional district with thousands of hard-working farm families who are blessed with some of the most productive soil on earth," Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr. said in a news release. "Farm Bureau looks forward to starting our work with Rep. Sorensen to identify farm policy priorities for his district and our state with the goal of enacting a farm bill this year.”

The Science, Space and Technology Committee has a roughly $42 billion budget and covers research and development outside of national defense and human health.