Tell Congress: Protect SNAP and WIC — Don’t Let Families Go Hungry

As the federal government shutdown drags on, millions of Americans who rely on critical nutrition programs are at risk of losing the support that helps them feed their families. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) together provide lifelines to nearly 50 million people, ensuring access to healthy food, breastfeeding support, and infant formula. But both programs are now running dangerously low on funds. Without immediate action from the White House, families, children, and expecting mothers across the country could lose access to the assistance they need to stay nourished and healthy.

In past government shutdowns, SNAP and WIC continued operating through contingency funds. This time, however, those reserves are nearly depleted. SNAP still holds enough funding to cover about two-thirds of next month’s benefits under emergency procedures, but the administration has refused to release those funds or tap other available resources. Meanwhile, the USDA extended WIC funding only through the end of this month, a temporary fix that advocates warned wouldn’t last. Without further action, state agencies will soon be forced to suspend benefits, leaving millions of mothers and children without access to essential nutrition.

This is not an unavoidable consequence of the shutdown, it’s a policy choice. Choosing not to act means choosing to deepen hunger and hardship for families already struggling with high costs and record food insecurity. Food insecurity doesn’t just cause hunger, it harms children’s growth, learning, and long-term health. When families lose access to nutritious food, children struggle to concentrate in school, parents skip meals to make ends meet, and communities suffer.

The consequences extend far beyond individual families. When SNAP benefits are cut, local retailers lose customers, food waste increases, and state economies take a hit. These ripple effects are entirely preventable. At a time when families are already stretched thin, withholding food assistance is both cruel and unnecessary. No parent should have to choose between keeping the lights on and feeding their children. No mother should have to worry whether her baby will have enough formula next week.

If our nation truly values mothers, children, and working families, our leaders must act like it. Congress and the White House must immediately release available SNAP funds and authorize additional transfers to sustain both SNAP and WIC through the shutdown. Families can’t wait for politics to play out.

Act now! Tell Congress to protect SNAP and WIC and ensure no family goes hungry.

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