These services are not luxury. Georgia Machel, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, talks about WIC programming.
The White House says the layoffs are imminent on government shutdown
Spokesperson Caroline Leavbit says that as the nation enters partial government shutdown, layoffs for federal workers could begin imminently.
Special supplementary nutrition programs for women, infants and children, commonly known as WIC, will be affected by ongoing government closures, if extended, officials said.
The federal government entered the country on Thursday, October 2nd, on the second day of its closure. President Donald Trump, his Republican allies and Democrats opposed to him, have shown no indications of agreeing to the federal budget laws. Funding to support additional healthcare programming remains a key point in splitting.
In addition to non-essential agencies closing doors, federal workers fear looming layoffs, with White House officials claiming it is “immediate” in “a day or two.”
Here’s how government closures are affecting WIC:
What is WIC?
WIC is a federal nutrition program that provides food, education and counseling to nearly 7 million at-risk pregnancies, postpartum and breastfeeding individuals, as well as infants and children up to five years of age.
Will WIC be closed during government closure?
If the shutdown continues, WIC may have shortfalls in funds within a week or two, said Georgia Machel, chairman and CEO of the WIC Association, in a news release on September 30.
Until then, WIC will continue to operate under available funds, according to the USDA’s Contingency Plan.
WICs can “recover and reassign unused grants from the previous fiscal year” for state-level activities, but federal government activities will cease if funds become unavailable, the plan says. According to the Food Research Center, states can take over up to 3% of their funds for fiscal year 2025 if they are unused. The remaining funds will be returned to USDA for reassignment in 2026.
“WIC provides access to important nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, infant prescriptions, and health screening and referral,” Machell said in a news release. “These services are not luxury, they are lifelines needed. Even temporary disruptions to the program can have long-term negative consequences for the health and development of our country’s families.”
How will shutdown affect my state’s WIC?
As of October 2nd, state-level WIC programs are not affected by shutdowns. To better understand the impact of government closures on WICs in certain states, visit the state’s WIC website for more information.
What is a government closure?
Every fiscal year, Congress approves funds to federal agencies. According to the U.S. Personnel Management, if Congress does not pass the funding law or temporary suspension known as a continuing resolution, federal agencies will have to close or suspend normal spending.
When did the government close?
The current government funds expired late at night on Tuesday, September 30th. The government closure began on Wednesday, October 1st at 12:01am ET.
Why did the government shut down?
One of the main reasons Congressional leaders have not agreed to the Budget Compilation Act is that health policy changes have been proposed. Senate Democrats have blocked Republican funding proposals to prevent cuts in Medicaid, which is part of Trump’s major tax laws and health insurance subsidies expiration.
How long will the shutdown last?
The federal government has shut down 21 times since 1977. Based on previous cases, the average shutdown lasts around 8 days.
The longest government closure in the last 50 years was under the first Trump administration from December 2018 to January 2019. It lasted for 35 days.
Contributions: Joey Garrison, Burt Jansen, Sudicsha Kochi/USA TODAY
Gretacross is a national trend reporter for USA Today. Story ideas? Please email her gcross@usatoday.com.
