[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E909-E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  WIC

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RUBEN HINOJOSA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 1997

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the Women, 
Infants, and Children [WIC] Nutrition Program. First, I want to say 
this is a program I wholeheartedly support. Second, I want to say I 
support it because it is very important to the health of this Nation, 
and specifically to the health of the 15th Congressional District, 
which I represent. I mean this literally.
  You see, the WIC Nutrition Program is probably the single most 
successful of all Federal

[[Page E910]]

social programs. It has a proven track record of helping women deliver 
more healthy babies. Women in WIC are more likely to receive prenatal 
care. It has proven to lower the medical expenses of pregnant women. In 
fact, the Government Accounting Office estimates that every dollar 
spent on WIC saves $3.50 in Social Security and Medicaid benefits. 
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, WIC has been linked to 
improved cognitive development among children.
  In my district alone, a total of 60,115 women, infants, and children 
benefit from this nutrition program each month. This includes 12,641 
infants, 34,293 children under the age of five, 6,231 pregnant women, 
and 6,850 postpartum/breast-feeding women. These numbers speak for 
themselves and tell why it is WIC is so important to so many in south 
Texas.
  There are those who believe that the WIC Program is adequately 
funded. I, however, am not one of those and must take issue. WIC needs 
to be better funded, and should receive full supplemental funding at 
the administration's $78 million request.
  Our Nation cannot afford to ignore the health and well being of our 
women, children and infants. Reducing nutrition programs geared toward 
the most vulnerable of our citizens is not the answer to reducing the 
budget deficit.
  While I am new to these halls, one subject I hear discussed regularly 
is health care. WIC, in my eyes, is one of the best health care 
programs in place today, and as such, it is an outstanding investment 
in our Nation's future. By supporting this we are supporting better 
health for our Nation's children. This must always be among our 
foremost priorities here in Congress.

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