Sorensen Calls on Congress to Return to Washington to Help Impacted Americans and Pass Disaster Relief

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17), the only meteorologist in Congress, is calling on Congress to return to Washington to help impacted Americans and pass much-needed disaster relief as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.    

“As a meteorologist for over two decades, I have witnessed up-close massive floods, tornados, hurricanes, derechos, and other extreme weather events that have destroyed homes, shuttered businesses, and harmed livelihoods. With Milton and Helene, we are seeing these types of hurricanes intensify at a more rapid pace, leaving us with little time to prepare for the road to recovery,” said Sorensen. “Congress has the responsibility to be good neighbors, step in, and help those communities across the country that are struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of natural disasters, including right here in Illinois. I am calling on Speaker Johnson to bring the House back into session, set partisan politics aside, and do the work that the people sent us here to do: help impacted Americans by making sure FEMA and the Small Business Administration have disaster relief funds.”

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated they have enough funding to meet the needs of Hurricane Helene and Milton victims, the severity of Milton may prevent FEMA from assisting other disaster relief efforts across the nation.  

In addition to supporting small businesses, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can issue loans to help homeowners and businesses recover after a disaster. According to the SBA, they have only a few weeks of funding left. 

Last month, Congress set aside an additional $20 billion for disaster relief in a short-term government funding package through December 20, 2024. Damage from these storms could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.  

Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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