The following is a statement from Georgia Machell, Interim President & CEO of the National WIC Association, in response to FY25 funding levels for WIC proposed by the House Appropriations Committee.
“Congress just completed an appropriations cycle which ultimately provided WIC with a desperately needed funding increase, but came dangerously close to leaving millions of WIC participants out in the cold. We urge lawmakers to avoid that treacherous path this time around.
While we appreciate the committee proposing an increase for WIC beyond FY24 levels, we are concerned that the funding bill released today falls below the USDA request to meet projected caseloads. The bill would also undercut recent updates to the WIC food package — and raise program costs in the process — that were finalized following a rigorous and independent scientific evaluation.
Fortunately, the right approach for WIC is also the simplest one: full funding for current and prospective participants, full implementation of a nutritious food package, and full support for the state and local agencies that do heroic work in communities across the country. When it comes to WIC, Congress must be an ally, not an adversary.”