Representative Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL) issued a statement criticizing President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle and abolish the Department of Education.
President Trump issued the order Thursday night, citing the Department's investment of over $3 trillion since its founding in 1979. Yet standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores reveal pupils' worsening performance on essential topics like mathematics and reading.
As a result, Trump's order directs Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps" to ensure the DOE winds down while simultaneously delivering any DOE services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.
Despite the rationale, Rep. Cherfilus McCormick responded, "Abolishing the U.S. Department of Education would devastate students across Florida and the nation. It means larger class sizes, fewer resources, and diminished opportunities that disproportionately harm students with disabilities and those from lower-income families — leaving them less prepared for the workforce."
"Its closure would jeopardize tens of billions of dollars in funding for K-12 schools and colleges. In Florida's 20th Congressional District alone, nearly 95,000 student loan borrowers and over 17,000 Pell Grant recipients would now face financial uncertainty. The dismantlement of the federal student aid system would hit those in rural communities and our courageous veterans hard," Rep. Cherfilus McCormick continued.
Moreover, the Florida Congresswoman suggested that Trump cannot unilaterally abolish the Department, as Congress must introduce legislation.
"Until then, the Administration does not have the authority to move forward with this proposal, and it must reverse course immediately. America's students need more opportunities to succeed—not less," she concluded.
In late February, Cherfilus McCormick argued against the removal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants in the United States that is to be revoked in August, saying, "The abrupt removal of nearly half a million workers will have an immense and irreparable impact on businesses across the country and our economy at large. Haitians with TPS status legally work and pay taxes in the U.S."
