Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Luis Guardia, President, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, February 27, 2024 — Congress must fully fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and quickly pass “clean” appropriations bills. Full stop.
It is unthinkable that a government shutdown once again looms because some in Congress want to politicize the appropriations process by introducing extraneous, cruel, and controversial proposals, known as policy riders, that only will delay bill passage and jeopardize the health and prosperity of our country.
WIC is a lifeline for nearly 6.5 million pregnant and postpartum women and young children, including roughly half of all infants born in the U.S. The program provides wide-ranging benefits and services, including safer pregnancies, improved dietary outcomes, and the healthy growth and development of children. Without an additional $1 billion in funding, WIC participants face the risk of losing these vital benefits. This would result in a disruption of services and long waiting lists, leaving more women, infants, and young children without access to the nutrition they need to thrive.
WIC has enjoyed decades of overwhelming bipartisan support for full funding that must not end with this Congress. Rather, Congress must act swiftly to prevent a health and hunger crisis from occurring by fully funding WIC. In addition, Congress must also reject the contentious policy riders that are threatening to upend the appropriations process.
Congress: The clock is ticking, and WIC families can’t wait.
###
The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
