Bill Summary
The resolution calls for the expulsion of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from the United States House of Representatives due to serious criminal charges against her. On November 19, 2025, the Department of Justice announced a grand jury indictment alleging that she was involved in the theft of $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funds. The indictment claims that she misappropriated these funds, which were intended for COVID-19 vaccination staffing services through her family-owned business, to finance her congressional campaign, including making large loans to her campaign and orchestrating illegal contributions to circumvent campaign finance laws.
The resolution highlights that such actions represent significant violations of federal criminal law and a betrayal of public trust. It also notes that an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation is looking into her conduct related to campaign finance and other ethical concerns. Ultimately, the resolution seeks her removal from Congress, asserting that her alleged actions undermine public confidence in the integrity of the legislative body and fail to meet the standards expected of its members.
Possible Impacts
The resolution for the expulsion of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from the United States House of Representatives could affect people in several ways:
1. **Impact on Constituents**: The expulsion of a sitting representative may leave constituents in Florida's 20th Congressional District without a direct voice in the House of Representatives. This could lead to delays in addressing their needs and concerns, especially if they rely on federal assistance or advocacy for local issues. The absence of their representative may hinder progress on legislative initiatives that are important to the community.
2. **Political and Electoral Consequences**: The expulsion could alter the political landscape in the district, potentially leading to a special election to fill the vacancy. This may change the dynamics of local and national political campaigns, influencing voter sentiment and party strategies. Candidates may capitalize on the situation to criticize the actions of the expelled representative and promote their own platforms, shaping public discourse in the district.
3. **Public Trust and Perception of Government**: The allegations of criminal conduct and the subsequent expulsion may further erode public confidence in elected officials and government institutions. Citizens might feel disillusioned about the integrity of their representatives and the political system as a whole. This could lead to decreased voter turnout, apathy toward civic engagement, and increased scrutiny of campaign finance practices and governmental accountability.
These examples illustrate the broader implications of the expulsion beyond just the individual representative, affecting constituents, the political environment, and public trust in government.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 901 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 901
Providing for the expulsion of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-
McCormick from the United States House of Representatives.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 20, 2025
Mr. Steube submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Ethics
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Providing for the expulsion of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-
McCormick from the United States House of Representatives.
Whereas Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida's 20th
Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives;
Whereas, on November 19, 2025, the Department of Justice announced that a
Federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an
indictment charging Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick with
multiple felony offenses arising from the alleged theft of $5,000,000 in
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funds and the
laundering and misuse of those funds to support her 2021 congressional
campaign;
Whereas, according to the indictment and public reporting, Trinity Health Care
Services, a family-owned health care company led by Representative
Cherfilus-McCormick, received a FEMA-funded contract to provide COVID-19
vaccination staffing services in 2021, and in July 2021 received an
overpayment of approximately $5,000,000 in disaster funds from FEMA;
Whereas the indictment alleges that Representative Cherfilus-McCormick and her
co-defendants conspired to steal that $5,000,000 in overpaid FEMA funds
by failing to return the money, diverting the proceeds for their own
benefit, and concealing the nature and source of the funds through a
series of financial transactions designed to launder the money;
Whereas the indictment further alleges that Representative Cherfilus-McCormick
used a substantial portion of the stolen disaster funds to finance her
congressional campaign, including by--
(1) making large personal loans to her campaign committee that were
funded by the FEMA overpayment; and
(2) orchestrating illegal straw donor contributions by routing money
through other individuals to evade Federal campaign finance limits and
reporting requirements;
Whereas these alleged acts constitute serious violations of Federal criminal
law, including theft of government funds, wire fraud, money laundering,
unlawful campaign contributions, and false tax filings, and would
represent a gross abuse of the public trust by misusing taxpayer dollars
intended for disaster relief to advance a personal political career;
Whereas Representative Cherfilus-McCormick reportedly faces a potential maximum
sentence of fifty-three years in Federal prison if convicted on all
counts;
Whereas independent of the criminal charges, the Committee on Ethics of the
House has already opened, and in the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress re-
authorized, an Investigative Subcommittee to review allegations that
Representative Cherfilus-McCormick may have violated campaign finance
laws and regulations in connection with her 2022 special election and
2022 reelection campaigns; failed to properly disclose required
information on financial and other statements filed with the House; and/
or accepted voluntary services for official work from an individual not
employed in her congressional office;
Whereas FEMA disaster relief funds are appropriated by Congress and administered
by the executive branch for the purpose of helping communities recover
from emergencies, disasters, and public health crises, and any theft or
diversion of such funds for personal or political gain constitutes a
direct betrayal of the taxpayers and disaster victims those funds are
meant to serve;
Whereas Members of the House of Representatives are required by rule XXIII of
the Rules of the House to conduct themselves at all times in a manner
that reflects creditably on the House, and the alleged theft and misuse
of Federal disaster funds, coupled with a pattern of campaign finance
and ethics concerns, falls far short of that standard;
Whereas public confidence in the integrity of Congress is severely undermined
when a sitting Member is charged with stealing millions of dollars in
disaster relief funds and using those funds to buy electoral advantage,
all while under ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation for related
misconduct;
Whereas on the social media platform ``X'', or x.com, the official congressional
account for Representative Cherfilus-McCormick posted on March 30, 2023,
that no American is above the law, on June 9, 2023, that ``no American
is above the law'', on August 15, 2023, that ``no American is above the
law'', and July 3, 2024, that no one is above the law; and
Whereas the pattern of alleged criminal conduct and ethics concerns surrounding
Representative Cherfilus-McCormick raises serious questions about her
judgment, integrity, and fitness to continue to serve in the House of
Representatives: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That pursuant to article I, section 5, clause 2 of the
Constitution of the United States, Representative Cherfilus-McCormick,
be, and she hereby is, expelled from the United States House of
Representatives.
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