Government shutdown could cut food aid for millions of women, children▼

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Published 74d ago

The colorful cornucopia of fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores across the country could get much harder to afford for those in the  Women, Infants and Children program,  also known as WIC. A potential government shutdown is on the mind of Michael J. Wilson, who leads the nonprofit Maryland Hunger Solutions. "I am worried about the potential impact on WIC," Wilson told Scripps News. "Knowing that if they don't do a full funding and take care of the business that's in front of them, that we really could have pregnant women and moms and children and babies being held hostage." According to the USDA,  in 2022, 6.3 million people benefited from the WIC program each month, including 39% of all infants in America, at an annual cost of $5.7 billion. A government shutdown, though, would mean money would no longer flow into the program. SEE MORE: What's the cost of a government shutdown? "That program expires, if you will, or stops immediately when the shutdown occurs," said Department of Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack. "We have a contingency fund at USDA that might continue it for a day or two. Some states may have leftover WIC benefits that have not been spent which could extend it for a week or so in that state, but the vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits." However, the program's problems run deeper, according to the National WIC Association. Source