Broward leaders vow to fight GOP cuts they call cruel and grotesque, warning that the greatest harm will hit communities of color
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr., Westside Gazette
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Broward County Democrats are raising a red flag, warning that Florida is spiraling into crisis under the combined weight of Donald Trump’s federal agenda and Governor Ron DeSantis’ state policies. At a press conference this week, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) blasted recent Republican actions they say will devastate working families and push Black and Brown communities to the brink.
A Bill They Call “Cruel and Grotesque”
Wasserman Schultz singled out the sweeping budget package dubbed the “Big Ugly Bill,” saying it strips away health care, education funding, and food assistance while handing tax breaks to the wealthy.
“Few laws will inflict as much harm on our community as the Big Ugly Bill Republicans just passed,” she said. “It is simply cruel and grotesque—taking from those who need it most and giving to those who already have the most.”
She warned that in a county as diverse as Broward, the consequences will fall hardest on families already struggling with housing costs, medical bills, and shrinking wages.
Cherfilus-McCormick: “Massive Cuts” Will Hit Home
Standing alongside her, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said the legislation isn’t just numbers on paper—it’s a direct attack on Florida families.
“Not only does it make massive cuts to the Medicaid funding and food assistance that Florida families need, but it also slashes Pell Grants for students striving for opportunity,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “This bill tells our communities that their health, their education, and their future simply don’t matter.”
She emphasized that Haitian, Caribbean, and Latino families in her district, already burdened by inflation and immigration challenges, would be among the hardest hit.
Community Leaders Speak Out
Local leaders echoed the alarm:
- Feeding South Florida officials warned that reduced food assistance will deepen hunger in working-class neighborhoods already lining up at food pantries.
- A Broward Teachers Union representative said cuts to Pell Grants and public-school resources would slam doors of opportunity on first-generation college students, disproportionately Black and Latino.
- A local NAACP leader cautioned that the combined effect of state and federal rollbacks feels like a “coordinated assault” on civil rights and racial equity.
What’s at Stake
The numbers are stark. Florida remains one of the largest states without Medicaid expansion, leaving more than 2.5 million uninsured. Cuts in federal safety nets could swell that number, with dire consequences for Black and Brown Floridians who already face health disparities.
Meanwhile, rents in South Florida have soared by double digits over the past three years. With state leaders refusing to strengthen tenant protections, many families fear displacement from neighborhoods they’ve called home for generations.
And in education, students of color—who make up a majority in Broward schools—now face a double hit: shrinking financial aid and the erasure of Black history and culture from classrooms.
A Call to Mobilize
For Democrats, the message is clear: the fight is not just about policy, but about survival for Florida’s most vulnerable.
“These aren’t distant consequences—they’re happening right here, right now,” Wasserman Schultz said. “If we don’t stand together and fight back, we risk losing the progress we’ve made and the future our children deserve.”
Cherfilus-McCormick added a direct call to action: “Florida is at a breaking point. But our communities are resilient, and we will not sit silently while Republicans try to erase our future.”
