On the recordOctober 4, 2013
It is not surprising that the WIC program is the latest subject of the majority's ploy to use low-income mothers and children as political pawns. WIC enjoys bipartisan support. A bipartisan poll in 2012 found the program enjoyed 67 percent approval among the American people, including 53 percent of conservatives. By providing things like fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and salmon, tuna for breastfeeding mothers, every dollar spent on pregnant women in WIC produces $1.92 to $4.21 in Medicaid savings for newborns and their mothers. That just makes common sense. On Wednesday, the USDA estimated that WIC would continue operations for a week or two, thanks to a small contingency fund. In Arizona, 29 percent of children are food insecure, and over 36 percent of Arizonans live in WIC-eligible households. In my district, the Arizona Department of Health Services in Apache and Navajo Counties says 70 percent of families were WIC-eligible in 2010. We need this program. But the bill before us is not meant to relieve needy families. It is only a tool meant for partisan gain. The Republican budget proposal would cut WIC 22 percent. The National WIC Association estimates that the sequester has resulted in nearly 12,000 deserving families in Arizona dropped from the rolls, yet now the majority reverses itself to fund this program. Beyond the cynicism of this tactic, WIC cannot stand alone.…
