There is a fight this September over a little-known government aid program that helps low-income Americans buy fruits and vegetables. Come this time next month, it’s quite likely that the program will be drastically cut.
WIC means Special supplementary nutrition program for women, infants and children. More than 6 million people benefit from it. But later this month, the subsidies could come amid disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over how much money should go to government programs, particularly those that saw a surge during the pandemic emergency, which has now ended. Has been given.
Eric Mitchell is the executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger. Their concern is that large cuts to WIC could negatively impact the nutrition of low-income Americans.
“That fruits and vegetables hit [during the pandemic emergency] “We were able to allow families to purchase up to $50 worth of fruits and vegetables. If that funding is cut, that will automatically be reduced to $11,” Mitchell told Scripps News.
Mitchell says those are monthly amounts and figures you don’t find much at the grocery store.
Democrats have suggested the program would receive about $6.3 billion, but the Republican-led House has proposed it receive $5.5 billion. Both the House and Senate are back in Washington this week for the first time in several weeks and Mitchell is hopeful this is an issue that can be resolved quickly because, to him, both proposals fall far short.
“This is a program that’s already facing billions of dollars in shortfalls,” Mitchell said.
Scripps News Kansas City recently spoke with a grandmother who said that if it weren’t for the pantry donation, her family would have faced a huge cut.
“We’ll probably eat once a day,” Candy Loughlin said. “You just want to do the best for your kids.”