WASHINGTON (AP) — A food aid program that supports millions of low-income mothers and their young children received a $300 million infusion from the Trump administration this week, alleviating some anxiety that it would run out of money during the government shutdown.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children, and expectant parents to purchase nutritious staples like fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, and infant formula. The program, known as WIC, faced running out of funding this month because of the government shutdown, which occurred right before it was expected to receive its annual appropriation.
This week, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced that “a creative solution” was found to use tariff revenues to sustain the program. By Thursday, at least some states began receiving WIC funds. Alaska and Washington confirmed they received the necessary federal funds to keep their programs operational until at least the end of October.
The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, which had temporarily closed due to a lack of funding, was able to reopen after receiving funds that enabled it to operate again on Friday, according to local reports.
WIC, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been a lifeline for low-income families, especially in times of financial strain like the current government shutdown.
Without this additional funding, state and local governments would have been forced to cover the costs for their WIC programs, seeking reimbursement from the federal government later. In Alaska, for instance, the WIC program had only enough federal funding to last through the weekend. Fortunately, they learned they would receive nearly $900,000, enabling the program to be fully funded through November 8, with a significant portion coming from leftover funds from other programs.
The government has been in shutdown since October 1 after Congress failed to reach an agreement on continuing funding, with Democrats pushing for a reversal of prior Medicaid cuts and an extension of Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies. Meanwhile, the White House and Congressional Republicans criticized Democrats for the shutdown, stressing the potential impact on programs like WIC. However, House Republicans and the Trump administration have also proposed cuts to the WIC program, raising concerns about the long-term viability of support for low-income families.
This ongoing situation highlights the complexities of government funding and its profound effects on vulnerable populations.
