All content tagged with the term "congressional-update".
December 21, 2020 -
News & Blog
On Sunday evening, Congressional leaders announced an end-of-year spending deal that includes about $900 billion in additional COVID-related aid. The announcement promises a six-month increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and creates a USDA task force on online purchasing in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The announcement notably does not include a bipartisan proposal to increase WIC benefits for fruits and vegetables.
December 9, 2020 -
News & Blog
News reports confirm that President-Elect Joe Biden will select former Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to reprise his role as USDA chief. NWA has outlined a number of important steps that Secretary Vilsack can take, when confirmed, to enhance access to WIC services, strengthen the food package, and improve health outcomes for WIC families.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of legislators unveiled a $908 billion framework for the Bipartisan Emergency COVID Relief Act of 2020, a new attempt to provide meaningful economic relief for those impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the urging of the National WIC Association, the bipartisan framework includes a short-term increase to the Cash Value Benefit, which would authorize higher WIC benefit levels for fruit and vegetable purchases.
October 1, 2020 -
News & Blog
With only six hours to spare, the Senate approved a continuing resolution last evening by a vote of 84-10. The President signed the continuing resolution later in the evening, averting a last-minute government shutdown by extending federal funding through December 11.
The House approved the bipartisan agreement last week shortly after it was reached by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. After months of pressing for additional investments in child nutrition, Speaker Pelosi secured an additional $8 billion in child nutrition programs in the legislation. Crucially, the continuing resolution includes an extension of USDA waiver authority for WIC and other child nutrition programs through September 30, 2021.
September 29, 2020 -
News & Blog
After four months of stalled negotiations, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled a $2.2 trillion compromise proposal for COVID-19 relief last evening. The proposal reduces aid and investments from the original $3.4 trillion included in the HEROES Act that passed the House in May, only to be ignored by the Senate and Administration. Nonetheless, it invests over $1 trillion more than Senate proposals released in late July.
September 22, 2020 -
News & Blog
Earlier this evening, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan agreement to extend government funding through December 11, 2020. The continuing resolution includes an additional $8 billion in nutrition aid by extending the Pandemic-EBT Program, as well as critical provisions that extend U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver authority for WIC and other child nutrition programs through September 2021. Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO of the National WIC Association, issued the following statement in response.
September 21, 2020 -
News & Blog
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The National WIC Association has actively supported this critical legislation, sponsored by Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and John Katko (R-NY), which ensures that no pregnant worker has to choose between the health of their pregnancy or their livelihood. Kara Kerrigan, WIC Director of Fond du Lac County in Wisconsin, and Sue Taylor, Manager of Early Childhood Services and WIC of Beacon Community Impact in Indiana, joined fellow advocates on a national advocacy day organized by NWA and a coalition of advocates in February 2020 to build support and raise awareness of this legislation in congressional offices.
September 14, 2020 -
News & Blog
This Thursday, the full House of Representatives will vote on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694), critical legislation that will ensure no pregnant worker should have to choose between the health of their pregnancy or their livelihood. This bill would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
July 27, 2020 -
News & Blog
After two months of delay and with continued unreasonably high levels of unemployment and rising COVID-19 infections across the country, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and a number of Senate Republicans have unveiled a series of proposals that – taken together – are wholly inadequate to address the needs of infants and young children. With one-in-six families with children struggling to afford food, it is unconscionable to advance another relief package without robust nutrition assistance.
July 6, 2020 -
News & Blog
After several months of focusing on COVID-19 response, House appropriators returned to regular order and unveiled several spending bills for fiscal year 2021.