House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children

As grocery prices continue to rise nationally, the House on Thursday passed an appropriations bill that would cut funding for a program that helps pregnant women and children purchase healthy foods.

By a vote of 213-210, the House passed an appropriations measure to fund the Agriculture Department among other agencies. The bill, which the Senate has yet to consider, aims to cut about 1.5% from overall federal agriculture spending in fiscal 2027, according to Republicans. Four House Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the measure, while five Republicans voted against it.

Under the legislation, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — more commonly known as WIC — would lose $141 million in funding for fruit and vegetable benefits for the nearly 5.4 million children and pregnant and postpartum women enrolled, according to an estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Additionally, the National WIC Association, an advocacy group for public health nutrition providers, estimated that the bill would reduce monthly fruit and vegetable benefits from $52 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and from $26 to $10 for young children.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, said on the House floor that despite cuts, the $8 billion in remaining funding is sufficient to meet the needs of the program. Harris argued that Agriculture Department data “clearly shows” that WIC participation has been declining during the current fiscal year.

“With lowered participation estimates and increased carryover funding, $8 billion will fully fund the program,” Harris said. “Let me say it one more time … WIC is fully funded. No woman or their children will lose or be denied coverage.”

But advocates and experts argued that the USDA data Harris cited reflects only the first quarter of the fiscal year, which includes the fall government shutdown that led to a decrease in program enrollment.

“There was a shutdown during that period, and so there was widespread confusion about which programs were open, what benefits were available, so that may be playing a big role in the lower participation early in this fiscal year,” said Zoë Neuberger, a fellow on nutrition assistance programs at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Neuberger also noted that because food prices have risen in the first half of this year, participation in WIC is also expected to rise.

“Participation goes up because families have a harder time affording the groceries that they need, and so eligible families that might not have been participating in WIC before might turn to WIC for help,” she said.

Alison Hard, director of policy at the National WIC Association, said WIC participation rates began increasing since fiscal 2022 and that the program has experienced “pretty consistent increases in participation over the last few fiscal years.”

Hard credited part of the increase to USDA’s push to make WIC services available virtually, so potential beneficiaries could access the program through telehealth.

Neuberger said the virtual option was a “tremendously beneficial modernization,” especially important for working parents and parents in rural areas. But she noted that the House bill does not make virtual service options permanent. If funding for these services lapses, Neuberger said, some families may not enroll in the program.

Democrats on the House floor argued that vulnerable Americans — particularly children — will lose access to fresh foods even as costs for the average consumer rise in part because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran.

“Republicans promised prices would come down on day one,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said. “Well, here a year-and-a-half in and everything’s up. Groceries are up. Energy costs are up. Inflation is up. Their answer to pregnant women paying high grocery costs is to cut WIC by $200 million.”

McGovern argued that WIC is one of the most “effective pro-family programs” offered by the U.S. government, helping pregnant women stay healthy and keeping milk, eggs, and vegetables accessible for families with young children.

“Why would you eliminate that at a time when fruits and veggies are getting more expensive?” McGovern said.

When the bill was first introduced in April, members of the Trump administration in the party’s Make America Healthy Again arm decried the shaving off funds from WIC. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was “not happy” with the cuts during an April hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee.

House Republicans, however, insisted ahead of the bill’s passing that WIC would remain funded at appropriate levels.

“It’s completely false to believe that there will be people kicked off of the program. Funding this at the level necessary to meet the need is exactly what we’re doing in this bill,” Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) said Wednesday.