Standing with Students in Underserved Communities

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss legislation that is near and dear to me. It updates outdated Federal definitions and ensures fairness for students attending universities that serve some of the most historically underserved communities across the country. Importantly, this bill has benefits with no cost.

My last tour as a marine was serving as the marine officer instructor at Morehouse, Spelman, Clark Atlanta, and Morris Brown as an adjunct professor. I then had the distinguished honor of attending and serving as student body president at Morehouse School of Medicine.

That experience shaped not only my medical career but also my understanding of leadership, service, and the responsibility we have to expand opportunity for the next generation.

Morehouse School of Medicine was founded to give opportunities to the underserved minority population and give them access to careers in healthcare and top-quality medical education. Its mission to serve the underserved is clear. Yet, for far too long, Federal policy has failed to keep pace with that mission.

This mission, which harkens back to the core principles for the foundation of the Republican Party itself, is a vital promise we should always strive to uphold.

Outdated definitions in statute have limited students at institutions like Morehouse to the resources and support they rightfully deserve. My bill is one small step to help correct that. It modernizes Federal language so that historically Black colleges and universities and other historically underserved institutions are treated fairly and equitably under the law in the way intended.

It ensures that students training to serve in rural communities, urban neighborhoods, and medically fragile populations are not disadvantaged by bureaucratic technicalities written decades ago.

As a graduate of Morehouse, I have seen the extraordinary talent and commitment of students who are determined to make a difference. They deserve policies that recognize their value and support their success.

Morehouse's legacy is incredible. I had the privilege of learning from former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, a towering figure in public health. His leadership set a standard of excellence and service that continues to guide my work today.

The broader Morehouse community has helped shape our Nation through leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose moral clarity transformed America; Jeh Johnson, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security; Edwin Moses, an Olympic gold medalist who exemplified discipline and determination; Samuel L. Jackson, whose artistic achievements are recognized worldwide; and Admiral Alvin Holsey, who had a long and distinguished military career.

These individuals reflect a tradition of excellence, resilience, and service. The students walking the halls today carry that same potential.

This legislation is about ensuring that Federal policy aligns with the legacy that we are trying to establish. This is about opportunity. It is about strengthening the pipeline of leaders, physicians, scientists, and public servants our country so urgently needs.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and stand with students at historically underserved institutions in order to make sure every institution that meets the criteria is included in the growing and vital HBCU network of universities that are working every day to serve America's communities.

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