If the government remains shut down, a program that feeds more than six million low-income mothers and their children is likely to run out of funding within the next two weeks, advocates and government officials say.
In a call with House Republicans on Wednesday, Russell T. Vought, the White House budget director, issued a similar warning, saying that funding would be exhausted by next week, according to people familiar with the conversation.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as W.I.C., provides vouchers for healthy foods, breastfeeding support and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and young children. Roughly 41 percent of all infants born in the United States participate in the program, which costs the federal government $7.2 billion annually and provides benefits averaging $64 monthly.
Because W.I.C. is not an entitlement program, with a mandatory funding mechanism that covers everyone eligible, its funding is subject to the annual appropriations process and thus more at risk than other safety nets like food stamps or Social Security.
To sustain W.I.C. through a shutdown, the Agriculture Department, which runs the program, can tap into a $150 million emergency fund, subject to approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget. States can also use unspent funding from the last fiscal year and rebates from formula companies. Altogether, those sources will likely last for about one or two weeks, said Georgia Machell, the president and chief executive of the National W.I.C. Association, an advocacy nonprofit.
Then, some states may choose to use their own funds to cover the costs while others will have to stop providing benefits altogether. Asked about timing and funding plans for W.I.C., the Agriculture Department said “nutrition programs will operate based on state choice and the length of a shutdown.”
The program remained funded through the last government shutdown, which spanned over a month starting in December 2018. But because the current shutdown started at the beginning of the fiscal year, on Oct. 1, states have less funding available.
“Every day a deal is not struck, we’re getting closer to a really dangerous situation for babies and young children,” Dr. Machell said.
Annie Karni contributed reporting.
Linda Qiu is a Times reporter who specializes in fact-checking statements made by politicians and public figures. She has been reporting and fact-checking public figures for nearly a decade.
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