On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee released draft text of its fiscal year 2027 agriculture appropriations legislation. The bill maintains the longstanding bipartisan promise to fully fund WIC, providing $8.5 billion—enough to ensure that every eligible family who applies in FY27 can be served. It also rejects efforts to cut WIC’s fruit and vegetable benefit and includes language to prevent ongoing efforts to reorganize the Department of Agriculture, which have already led to significant attrition of expert federal staff.
Crucially, the measure also provides permanent authority for virtual WIC certification appointments and remote benefit issuance, significantly easing barriers to access for busy families. The National WIC Association strongly urges Congress to advance a bipartisan, full-year funding bill before the current continuing resolution expires on December 11, ensuring that young families can continue to count on WIC.