The Center for Budgetary and Political Priorities, CBPP, presented a new report which provides estimates of the reduction in the number of people served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) would serve in each state under House and Senate bills, relative to estimated turnout, if adequate funding is not obtained for the program it needs.
According to the new analysis using state data, the think tank that analyzes the impact of federal and state budget policies explains that overall, the House bill would reduce food assistance for, or I would completely eliminate approximately 5.3 million young children and pregnant, postpartum, and lactating adults.
The CBPP notes that to provide full benefits, WIC will need $7.2 to $7.3 billion next fiscal year, based on the most recent data. That’s $900 million to $1 billion above President Joe Biden’s budget request and the amount in the Senate appropriations bill, and $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion above the level provided in the Senate appropriations bill. Camera.
The CBPP stresses that time is of the essence: “States need more money at the beginning of the fiscal yearalong with the assurance that funding for the entire year will be adequate, or else they can start taking steps to reduce tuition even before final funding levels for the year are set.”
WIC funding needs have increased as the number of pregnant, postpartum, and lactating adults, infants, and young children participating in the program has increased more than expected when the president’s budget was being developedas well as food costs, substantially increasing the cost of serving all eligible applicants and providing participants with the full food benefit.
“Congress should provide WIC with the resources it needs or the program will be forced to turn away eligible low-income families seeking support”, warns the report.
The CBPP notes that any funding level that does not serve all eligible WIC applicants would be contrary to more than 25 years of precedent: “Every year since 1997, lawmakers from both parties have provided sufficient funding to ensure that WIC can serve all eligible pregnant or postpartum individuals, infants, and toddlers who apply for benefits or are required to recertify.”
Extensive research over more than four decades has shown that participation in WIC is linked to significant benefits for health, nutrition and developmental outcomes. That includes fewer premature births, fewer infant deaths, better diet quality, lower prevalence of food insecurity, higher childhood immunization rates, better access to health care, and many other benefits.
For more details about the report, enter here.
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