National WIC Association: Unnecessary and harmful political riders risk undermining funding the success of a program that has enjoyed decades of overwhelming bipartisan support.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The following statement is attributed to Georgia Machell, Interim President & CEO of the National WIC Association. It is in response to the impending federal funding deadline and the unnecessary riders that some in Congress continue to entertain in lieu of passing a budget that ensures the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is fully funded.
“Congress needs to cut the partisan games and stop gambling with the well-being of families. The time for political distractions is over. For fifty years, WIC has demonstrated its value as an essential public health resource - positively impacting the health of families across generations.
“Unnecessary and harmful political riders risk undermining funding the success of a program that has enjoyed decades of overwhelming bipartisan support. With the clock ticking, we must secure full funding for WIC services that millions of moms, babies, and kids rely upon. It's time to put politics aside and do what's right – the health of our nation depends on it.”