[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 159 (Friday, September 29, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E916-E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




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

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2023

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4368, 
the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. This bill falls woefully 
short of adequately investing in important programs and policies that 
support the American people.
  The bill's provisions targeting low-income women, infants, and 
children are especially concerning. The insufficient funding included 
in H.R. 4368 jeopardizes access to food and critical services for low 
and moderate income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children 
by drastically underfunding the program and undermining science-based 
WIC food benefits. This is especially concerning as the country 
continues to face an infant and maternal health crisis.
  For over 25 years, there has been a bipartisan commitment to provide 
sufficient WIC funding to serve all eligible applicants and maintain 
the longstanding no-waitlist commitment--until now. The House 
agriculture appropriations bill purports to fund WIC at $6 billion for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, but the bill also demands a $500 million 
rescission in a later section. Realistically, the bill only funds WIC 
at $5.5 billion. This is $800 million below the President's budget 
request for FY 2024 ($6.3 billion) and $185 million lower than the 
level of funding made available in FY 2023 ($5.685 billion).
  Last month, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) outlined the 
need for an additional $1.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 funding for WIC 
due to a significant increase in participation this fiscal year with a 
total of 6.7 million women, children, and infants being served by the 
program as of June. OMB has warned that without additional funding, 
participants could see disruptions in benefits. To prevent any 
disruption to a program crucial to supporting new parents and young 
children, it is vital that WIC funding be increased to align with 
projected participation and food costs as the process moves forward. 
Under the funding levels included in the House agriculture 
appropriations bill, up to 600,000 eligible new parents and children--
including 11,600 Virginians could be turned away from the program.
  While WIC participation is increasing, this bill also drastically 
cuts WIC's increased science-backed fruit and vegetable benefits for 
roughly 1.5 million pregnant and postpartum participants and 3.5 
million children aged one to four. The bill reduces the monthly fruit 
and vegetable benefit from $25 to $11 for child participants, from $44 
to $13 for pregnant and postpartum participants, and from $49 to $15 
for breastfeeding participants. Current benefit levels ensure that 
participating women and children have access to recommended levels of 
fruits and vegetables, thus improving health outcomes and program 
retention. Pre-pandemic benefits of $8 for children and $11 for

[[Page E917]]

pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding participants allowed for less 
than a one-cup equivalent of fruits and vegetables per day, woefully 
short of the recommended amounts.
  In addition to insufficient funding for WIC, the bill includes other 
harmful provisions targeting nutrition programs. For example, the bill 
includes a rider that rejects a pending rule to revise WIC Food 
Packages. Additional riders reject nutrition standards in both school 
meals programs as well as the Child and Adult Care Food Program 
(CACFP). These harmful riders weaken the science-based process that 
determines nutrition standards and criteria in child nutrition and 
related programs. A dozen health organization and other stakeholders, 
including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy 
of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the American Public 
Health Association, the National WIC Association, and UnidosUS implored 
Congress not to include harmful nutrition-related riders and to 
maintain and respect the current science-based processes.
  In addition to the threats to the health and well-being of women and 
children, this bill would harm farmers as they recover financially from 
the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this legislation strips funding 
from Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs enacted last Congress. 
Rescinding the IRA funding will harm farmers as they recover losses 
suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to divest from food 
security and those who produce the food and fiber we depend on is short 
sighted. I am also alarmed by amendments to curtail the United States 
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) work to advance equity and 
inclusion. For far too long, farmers of color, female farmers, and 
farmers who identify as LGBTQI+ have faced discrimination in farm 
lending. Restricting the USDA's ability to address these failures is 
detrimental to achieving the USDA's mission and ensuring food security.
  For these reasons and many others, I urge my colleagues to oppose the 
bill.

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