March 4, 2024 update: Congress today passed a bill that would add $1 billion in funding for WIC, fully funding the program and expanding its budget.
Growing up, I was an A student, president of the Student Council, and poor. However, benefits my mother received made me ineligible for free lunch. As a result, I often went without breakfast or lunch entirely. I would find myself eating leftovers from other people’s plates.
One day, I decided I wasn’t going to be hungry anymore. I got in line in the cafeteria and filled my tray with food. I then made a defiant move. I got to the cash register and said, “I am going to eat today.” No one stopped me. That day, I ate lunch, and from then on, I never had to skip lunch again for lack of money. The cafeteria school staff left me alone. It was my own hunger protest.
But not everyone has that choice. And many of today’s families are struggling to get enough food in school and out. That is why, as a member of Congress, I work passionately to fight food insecurity. At the center of that work is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
For more than 6 million Americans, WIC makes a way out of no way, filling nutritional gaps that allow families to access the healthy foods they need but can’t afford. All these benefits make WIC an important bridge in closing the food insecurity gap.
Now, 2 million women and children are in danger of losing access to this key program. Last month, despite the fact that WIC demand has been expanding rapidly, Congress passed a resolution to keep the government running without adding to the program’s funding.
As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, I know first-hand how important healthy foods are for a baby’s development. Children can only fully thrive when they have the proper nutrition to grow and reach their full potential. That means access to healthy whole grains, proteins like nutrient-rich formula and dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
I’ve served as a community intervenor, sharing information with pregnant women on nutrition, nursing, and WIC. I’ve seen first-hand how the program’s food packages are rooted in sound nutrition science. And the benefits are well-documented: Children whose families use WIC can better absorb key nutrients, have higher rates of immunizations and consistent medical care, and have healthier growth rates.