House Agriculture Bill Underfunds WIC, Cuts Fruit and Vegetable Benefit, and Fails to Make Virtual Services Permanent For the second year in a row, House Republican appropriators are jeopardizing access to WIC.

We can do better by our youngest kids. Congress should reject the House bill's harmful cuts, fully fund WIC, and continue to modernize it. www.cbpp.org/blog/house-a...

The House agriculture appropriations bill would underfund WIC & take away over $141 million in fruits & vegetables from nearly 5.4 million toddlers, preschoolers & parents in low-income families. It also fails to permanently extend virtual services like phone appointments.

If the Administration eliminates SNAP’s “broad-based categorical eligibility” (BBCE) policy, about 6 million people will lose SNAP, including 1.8 million children, which reduces access to school meals & WIC. www.cbpp.org/research/foo...

Last week, Senate Republicans voted to strike down a tax law the D.C. Council passed late last year. It now awaits the President’s signature. That’s bad for D.C. families and businesses – but may not be the final word x.com/waxmansd/sta...

The House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill ignores the needs of low-income people struggling to afford the rising cost of groceries, many of whom are already losing food assistance under the harmful Republican megabill’s (HR 1) unprecedented #SNAP cuts. This is unacceptable.

I am grateful to the immigrants who have helped shape me--my grandparents, relatives, friends & teachers. I cherish the vibrancy immigrants bring to my neighborhood & our country. And I am touched by this tribute⬇️ #ToImmigrantsWithLove

On policy grounds and as a DC resident, I'm dismayed by this federal interference. It will hurt people who are struggling to make ends meet, make filing taxes more difficult for everyone, and weaken DC's budget outlook, all while undermining local decision-making.

✅ Yes! Improvements made to the WIC food packages since 2009 have contributed to healthier food environments in low-income neighborhoods, enhancing access to fruits, vegetables & whole grains for all consumers.

Does WIC improve neighborhood food access?

WIC Works: A Cost-Effective Investment in Improving Low-Income Families’ Nutrition and Health Sound investments that reduce early childhood adversity can improve physical and mental health for a lifetime.[2] Extensive research finds that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,...

✅ Yes! Children who participate consistently during their first five years have better overall diets at age 6 compared to those who only participate in their first year. www.cbpp.org/research/foo...

Does sustained WIC enrollment have benefits?

✅ Yes! Children whose parent participated in WIC while pregnant scored higher on assessments of mental development at age 2 & later performed better on reading assessments than similar children whose parent did not participate.

Does WIC participation strengthen cognitive development?

✅ Yes! Children in families participating in WIC are just as likely to receive immunizations as children in more affluent families & are more likely to receive preventive health care than low-income non-participants. www.cbpp.org/media/low-in...

Does WIC participation improve access to health care? 🩺🏥

✅ Yes! WIC participants eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains & low-fat dairy products, particularly now that the WIC food packages have been improved & the fruit & vegetable benefit has been increased.

Does WIC participation improve diets? 🍎 🥦

✅ Yes! Individuals who participate in WIC during pregnancy give birth to healthier babies who are more likely to survive infancy. www.cbpp.org/media/wic-pa...

Does WIC participation lead to healthier babies? 👶

WIC Works: A Cost-Effective Investment in Improving Low-Income Families’ Nutrition and Health Sound investments that reduce early childhood adversity can improve physical and mental health for a lifetime.[2] Extensive research finds that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,...

For 50 years #WIC has been improving the health & development of new & expecting parents & young children by providing nutritious foods & vital services. It’s an example of government at its best. We compiled research on WIC’s effectiveness. Key findings↓ www.cbpp.org/wicworks

In the wake of another horrific shooting death in MN by federal immigration officers -on top of wrongful detentions, violence, & fear there & across the country- it is appropriate for the Senate to use the budget process to push for critical protections for people & communities.

Well said. Setting rules, establishing guardrails, and conducting oversight are important components of the annual budget process, and critical to our democracy.

Trump administration orders review of federal funding in more than a dozen Democratic states | CNN Politics The Trump administration has ordered a review of federal funding sent to more than a dozen Democratic-led states, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Undertaking a sweeping investigation of almost all federal funding to 14 states & D.C. – all but one led by a Democrat – is a harmful & shameful escalation of the Admin’s corrupt politicization of basic governance & suggests funding freezes may be coming. www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/p...

Update: USDA revised their #SNAP contingency fund plan to provide households with a larger share of their November benefits. This is an important but inadequate step. Families need their full benefits to afford groceries & the Administration has the authority to provide them.

USDA is cutting SNAP benefits far more than necessary. #WIC benefits are still flowing, but WIC is a supplemental program. WIC participants who rely on SNAP for basic groceries & to feed other family members are likely to struggle to get enough to eat. Details⬇️

As @TyJonesCox explains, millions of children are paying the price for the Administration’s failure to follow the law, do basic planning & use all available options to get full November #SNAP benefits out, but it's not too late to get full benefits to all participants.

The Administration should take all available legal steps to keep #SNAP and #WIC benefits flowing and services uninterrupted during the shutdown.

Apparently House Speaker Johnson described #WIC as having shut down today. That’s not true. USDA has made clear that WIC has some federal funding to stay open for now & states can keep it open when that runs out. (I expect that will be in about 2 weeks, depending on the state.)

Bottom line for #WIC under the shutdown: WIC should continue operating uninterrupted for about 2 weeks (varying by state) & states should use their own funds to keep it open beyond that so babies, young children & new & expecting parents don’t miss out on critical benefits.

The Administration and State Officials Should Take Steps to Keep WIC Operating During a Partial Government Shutdown | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Reported White House statements imply that if the federal government partially shuts down on October 1, the WIC program will shut down almost immediately, meaning low-income families would lose out...

Read more here: www.cbpp.org/blog/the-adm...