The Trump administration’s announced freeze on billions in K–12 education funding and the United States Senate passage of House Resolution 1 — the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill — is one of devastating consequences for children, families, and seniors in House District 27, which includes Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties:

Let me be clear — These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are real lives. Children who will lose their teachers. Families who will lose their healthcare. Seniors who may be forced from their homes.

Trump Administration Freezes Billions in Education Support

The Trump administration’s decision to withhold critical education funds already approved by Congress earlier this year, include:

$890 million for English Learners (Title III),

$375 million for children of migrant farm workers,

$2.2 billion in teacher training and development (Title II-A),

$1.4 billion for after-school programs,

$1.3 billion for STEM and academic enrichment.

These funds are a lifeline for rural school districts like ours, which already face higher teacher turnover and deeper resource shortages. Pulling them back — after Congress allocated them — is not only cruel, but also unconstitutional.

H.R. 1 Threatens District 27’s Safety Net

The passage of H.R. 1 would impose sweeping cuts to:

Medicaid, threatening coverage for thousands of residents, including those recently covered under North Carolina’s 2023 Medicaid expansion.

SNAP benefits, putting local families at increased risk of food insecurity.

HUD rental assistance, jeopardizing affordable housing for many seniors and working-class families in the district.

This bill dismantles the programs that rural communities rely on to survive. District 27 will be hit harder than most — because we are already dealing with underinvestment, health disparities, and housing instability. You can’t take food, healthcare, teachers, and housing away from rural North Carolinians and expect them to be silent.

Local Impact by the Numbers

Medicaid: Up to 5,200 residents in District 27 risk losing healthcare, including newly covered adults.

SNAP: Over 7,000 families in Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties could see cuts to monthly food assistance.

Education: Dozens of local schools will lose support staff, after-school enrichment, and ESL programming if federal funds remain frozen.

This is a moral moment. We can either stand up for our children, our elders, and our communities – or we can let them be sacrificed for political cruelty. I choose to stand.

Editor's note: Rodney Pierce is the state representative for House District 27 and of this posting the matter was still being debated in the U.S. House