[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1098-E1099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. ALBIO SIRES

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2112) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. SIRES. Madam Chair, I rise today to express my deep concern 
regarding the drastic cuts being made to the Supplemental Nutrition 
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in the Agriculture 
Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2012. While I understand the need 
to balance the budget, I cannot support cuts made to WIC, which has 
proven to be an effective tool in improving the health of our Nation's 
children.
  Over nine million low and moderate income women, infants, and 
children rely on WIC to provide them with quality nutrition education 
services and access to maternal, prenatal, and pediatric health-care 
services. WIC is a premier public health nutrition program and makes 
sure that our Nation's children begin their life as healthy as 
possible. During early childhood, infants with poor nutrition are 
susceptible to increased chances of anemia and negatively impact a 
child's ability to learn. WIC plays a vital role in ensuring that WIC 
infants are in better health than eligible infants not participating in 
WIC.
  With approximately one out of every two babies born in our country 
enrolled in WIC, it is a vital service that not only ensures infants' 
healthy well-being, but also saves health care costs. Up to $3.13 for 
every WIC dollar spent within the first 60 days of birth results in 
health care cost savings. Additionally, lower Medicaid costs are tied 
to prenatal participation in the WIC program. Preterm births cost our 
country over twenty-six billion dollars every year with the average 
first year medical costs for premature births costing over forty-nine 
thousand dollars and first year medical costs for babies without 
complications cost just over four thousand dollars. It has been proven 
that for every dollar spent on prenatal WIC participation for low-
income Medicaid women, the results included fewer premature births, 
longer pregnancies, and fewer infant deaths.
  In my home state of New Jersey, the number of women, infants, and 
children that participate in the program is 171,060. Sixty-one percent 
of WIC participants are families with income below the poverty level--
these are our constituents that are most in need. If the bill is 
passed, and depending upon the rate of food inflation, New Jersey may 
lose 3,700 to 6,500 WIC participants, and nationwide there may be a 
loss of 200,000 to 350,000 WIC participants. During the past fifteen 
years, Congress has been committed to provide enough funding to all 
eligible women and children who apply for WIC, and this legislation 
will break this promise. Indeed, if funding for WIC is insufficient, 
thousands of women and children

[[Page E1099]]

will be put on a waiting list to receive the services they deserve.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose these devastating cuts, which so many 
of our constituents rely upon.

                          ____________________