[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 51 (Friday, April 25, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S3701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. WELLSTONE. On a second topic that is clearly related to this 
topic, Mr. President, I had an opportunity to talk to Senator Bumpers 
and Senator Cochran, who are going to be very key in the appropriations 
bill, who are working on this supplemental appropriations bill, and I 
would like to thank them for their effort to really restore adequate 
funding for the Women, Infants, and Children Program. I think Senator 
Cochran and Senator Bumpers are very committed to doing it. Both the 
Washington Post and New York Times had editorials yesterday.
  The problem is what we get coming over from the House as opposed to 
an additional $76 million that the White House now realizes it needs to 
make sure that 180,000 women and infant children are not falling 
between the cracks with inadequate care. This has to do with avoiding 
low birthweight, childhood anemia, this has to do, frankly, with the 
whole issue of infant mortality. I cannot think of anything more cruel 
than for us not to fully fund this program. It works. There has not 
been one study by anybody, anywhere that has made the case that we must 
not invest in nutrition for our children.
  I am really hopeful that when we mark this bill up next week on the 
Senate side we will get it right and we will not turn our gaze away 
from the conditions of children. Too many children are malnourished. 
Too many women who are expecting children are malnourished.

                          ____________________