A child participating in the WIC program removes a WIC-approved product from a shelf at a Seattle grocery store in September 2024. (Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $300 million to a key federal nutrition program to keep it running through October as the government shutdown continues with no apparent endpoint.
The USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children – known as WIC – relied on short-term funding when operations were suspended. This worries supporters because states have to fill the gaps when the money runs out.
According to a congressional aide familiar with the plan, the USDA is transferring $300 million to WIC from its child nutrition programs account, which has long been partially funded by tariff revenues from previous years.
The transfer does not require congressional approval and the program is expected to be operational by the end of this month.
A USDA spokesman said in a statement to States Newsroom that the agency “will use tariff revenue to fund WIC for the foreseeable future,” although the spokesman did not provide any details. President Donald Trump’s administration announced the transfer last week but did not provide many details.
“We are hopeful that the money will be released very quickly and provide resources to states through next week to prevent further disruptions to WIC,” Georgia Machell, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, told States Newsroom.
“Fully funding the program continues to be a priority here, and it’s great to have short-term solutions, but we need a long-term commitment from Congress to continue funding WIC on a bipartisan basis, which has been the case for decades,” added Machell, whose organization serves as WIC’s nonprofit advocacy and education arm.
Depends on congressional approval
The program supports almost 7 million people and offers “free healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education and referrals to other services,” per USDA.
However, as a discretionary program, WIC is subject to annual congressional approval, making it especially vulnerable to attacks constant lack of financial resources.
Because Congress has not yet appropriated any funds for the program in fiscal year 2026, which began Oct. 1, WIC has tapped into several tiny pots of money in recent days to keep its operations afloat, including the USDA’s $150 million contingency fund. States received allocations from this fund.
Money left over for the program from the previous fiscal year was also reallocated to states last week, and WIC was expected to continue operating for a few more days.
On Tuesday, members of the U.S. Senate were scheduled to vote on a House-passed stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government. However, it was expected that in the event of no agreement, the legislation would again fail to gain the support of the needed 60 senators.
Senate Rejects Trump Budget Cuts to WIC
USDA’s decision to employ tariff revenue comes after Trump tried to cut some WIC funding in his fiscal 2026 budget request, including taking away “more than $1.3 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.2 million participants,” according to estimates Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
The full Senate passed a bipartisan bill regarding Department of Agriculture fundingincluding WIC, in August. The measure fully funds the program for fiscal year 2026 at $8.2 billion and “continues full funding of the Supplemental Fruit and Vegetable Benefit,” according to Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee’s version of the bill, which passed the Republican-controlled panel in June, provides $7.5 billion for WIC and includes a “10 percent reduction in the value of fruit and vegetable cash vouchers for women and children.” According to to the Democrats on the panel.
Kate Scully, WIC’s deputy director at the Food Research & Action Center, said, “We continue to urge Congress to adopt a full-year budget that provides WIC with the funding it needs to serve all people who qualify for and apply for the program, which includes maintaining benefit levels at current levels.”
Scully, whose national nonprofit works to reduce poverty-related hunger through research, advocacy and policy solutions, said that “families should continue to receive benefits, go to scheduled appointments, but check with their state agency to see if there have been any changes.”
Scully said her organization is “hearing reports of some places closing,” but that could change with the $300 million infusion of funding. “So definitely contact your state, but don’t use your benefits or go to your appointments because WIC should still be operating.”
