[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 42 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H2366-H2367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             END HUNGER NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this week, as part of my End Hunger Now 
series, I want to focus on one of the most important and successful 
Federal antihunger and nutrition programs, the WIC program. The Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, 
commonly known as WIC is a fantastic program that is celebrating its 
40th anniversary this year. It truly is an amazing program, one that 
has been a tremendous success for 40 years.
  WIC is a short-term intervention program designed to influence 
nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted high-risk population. What 
does that mean? Well, Mr. Speaker, it means that it provides nutritious 
food and nutrition education, among other services, to pregnant women, 
infants, and young children.

                              {time}  1030

  Specifically, WIC provides quality nutrition education and services, 
breast-feeding promotion and education, a monthly food prescription, 
and access to maternal, prenatal, and pediatric health care services.
  Not only has WIC been around for 40 years, it has served millions of 
women and children over that time. For example, more than 10,000 
clinics served 8.7 million women and children each month in 2013. That 
figure includes 853,000 pregnant women, 595,000 breast-feeding women, 
598,000 postpartum, 2 million infants, and 4.6 million children. Those 
are monthly figures, Mr. Speaker.
  Let's be clear: this is an important antipoverty program. It helps 
poor pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and their children receive 
both nutritious food and nutrition education. That's right, this 
program serves poor people--and does so successfully.
  To qualify for WIC, participants' income level must be at or below 
185 percent of the poverty level or they must be on Medicaid. That is 
about $36,000 a year for a family of three. We are not talking about 
wealthy people here, Mr. Speaker. In fact, nearly three-fourths of all 
WIC participants live in families with incomes below the Federal 
poverty level. That means most families of three are making less than 
$36,000. In fact, according to the latest data available, the average 
income of a participant was $16,842 a year.
  The services WIC provides are critically important, and they are 
based on sound science. For example, we know how important it is for 
women to breast-feed their children. Breast milk contains important 
nutrients infants need to grow and to develop. We know that breast-fed 
infants tend to be healthier because they receive antibodies from the 
breast milk, antibodies that protect these young kids against 
infection. Did you know that breast-feeding has also been proven to 
save money? That's right. If 90 percent of U.S. mothers exclusively 
breast-fed their infants for 6 months, the U.S. would save $13 billion 
annually in medical expenses and prevent 900 deaths a year.
  Another important part of WIC that is based on science is the food 
package that is made available to each client. They are designed 
specifically for each person, whether you are a pregnant mother, 
nursing mother, or a child. The foods available are approved by the 
scientists and the researchers at the Institute of Medicine. That's 
right, not Members of Congress or non-science-based administrators in a 
Federal agency that approve or deny certain foods from the WIC package. 
We know that proper nutrition can make people healthier, reduce 
instances of illness and disease, and prevent or reduce hospital visits 
and stays. I guess my mother was right when she said, An apple a day 
keeps the doctor away.
  That is why it is so maddening and so disappointing when special 
interests try to change the WIC food package just so they can see a 
little bit more money for their product. Proper nutrition can save 
money--something I think should be popular in this Congress--and 
ignoring science because special interests want to make a quick buck is 
just wrong.
  That is why I am so proud of this program. A few years ago, there was 
an attempt in the House of Representatives to underfund WIC--to deny 
these important services to poor women and their children. The backlash 
was fierce. That funding was quickly restored, and we haven't seen an 
attempt to cut WIC since. I only wish that were true for other Federal 
antihunger programs.
  You see, Mr. Speaker, this program is what is best about America. 
Ironically, it was a program that was born in the Nixon administration. 
In fact, it came from the first and only White House conference on 
hunger, something I wish this President, President Obama, would convene 
before his term is over.
  For 40 years WIC has ensured that poor women and their children have 
access to nutritious food and nutrition education. It is just that 
simple. These women and children have a lifeline to making their lives 
healthier and better. It is safe to say that the millions of people 
served by WIC would be worse if it weren't for this program.
  I am proud of this program. I am proud of the people who work at WIC 
clinics, and the administrators, and those who administer the program 
in every State. I am proud of the people who advocate and fight for 
this program. I look forward to the day when we don't need WIC because 
we have eradicated poverty once and for all. Until that day comes, I am 
proud that we have WIC to help make the lives of the women and children 
they serve just a little bit better.

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