Two House Democrats introduced a new bill to make WIC funding mandatory, so the program wouldn’t be at risk of pausing during a government shutdown.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is continuing to operate, but lawmakers have raised concerns that the program could be halted if its funds dry up.
Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., introduced the bill, dubbed the “WIC Benefits Protection Act.”
Scott, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said it was “unconscionable” that mothers were “concerned their benefits may run out.”
“The harmful effects of hunger and poor nutrition on infants and pregnant women cannot be undone — you cannot reverse some of the lifelong consequences of going without essential nutrition as an infant,” he said. “The WIC Benefits Protection Act will ensure that no eligible family will lose access to healthy food or WIC services because of political dysfunction in Washington.”
The House is not expected to come back into session until next week.
Lawmakers had also previously pressed for a vote on a standalone bill to guarantee military pay during a shutdown. Over the weekend, Trump said he was directing the Defense Department to pay troops, who were set to miss payments for October work as the shutdown continued.
