Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick: ‘I’m Ready to Take This Fight to the Floor’

Here’s why this Florida US representative is fighting for affordable health care and a living wage for hardworking families.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is a fighter in the truest sense of the word. That is because when the US representative stands up to advocate for the people, she does so from a deep well of personal experience. As they say, the tree’s sustenance comes from its roots.

“I have experienced the American dream, but it has not been without hard work or hardships,” said the lifelong Democrat who was born in New York City to Haitian immigrants and calls her family her proudest achievement.

True Grit

Before her marriage, the 43-year-old was a single mother for twelve years. And like so many women, she raised her daughter alone while putting herself through law school. At the same time, she was told that her daughter had a learning disability and would never attend a regular school.

“Today, my amazing daughter is enrolled in honors pre-law, preparing to pursue a career in law,” the St. Thomas University School of Law graduate writes on her website.

That certainly speaks of the grit and the commitment of the woman who currently holds Florida’s 20th congressional district, which includes most of the majority-black precincts in and around Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Because even as her daughter’s out-of-pocket medical expenses piled up, she never gave up.

Just Cause

“We’ve seen a lot of obstructionism, especially from the Republican party,” the Congress member told Floricua. “The last time we saw this kind of politics in a small frame, was when Obama was president. Republicans are again taking that stance, but now on a broader level.”

She is referring to the fact that for years Democrats have been pushing Florida to expand Medicaid using money provided by the Affordable Care Act. But state Republicans have consistently refused to accept federal money to expand a program that would provide health coverage for an additional 800,000 to 1 million low-income, uninsured Floridians.  

“So, the relief that we’ve been trying to bring to the people, especially when it comes to health care, they’re just continuously blocked,” said Cherfilus-McCormick, who over 10 years ago began advocating on Capitol Hill for a more equitable health care reform and is a passionate proponent of universal health care.

The congress member also fights to raise the minimum wage to $20/hour to meet the needs caused by inflation and the growing housing crisis, as well as to empower small businesses with the tools and resources to acquire federal contracts.

Ready to Fight

The sum of every hurdle she’s had to jump, is the fighting spirit that she brings to Congress on behalf of Floridians. The fight has proved tough. But to her, it is not unwinnable.

“We can no longer ignore the sliding scale of our progress, rising unemployment rates, the soaring cost of living, inadequate access to quality health care, and lack of equitable opportunities,” she said. “I’m ready to take this fight to the house floor.”