The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a USDA-FDA funding bill on Thursday that would spend $1.6 billion more on WIC and international food aid than the version approved by House appropriators one day earlier. The greatest difference, $1.1 billion, was in funding for Food for Peace, the leading U.S. food aid program.
The Democrat-controlled Senate committee proposed $1.7 billion for Food for Peace, a $101 million increase from the House bill. That bill, written by Republicans, would set Food for Peace funding at $619 million, a $1 billion cut from current levels. The Senate committee voted 27-0 for their bill. Representatives approved the House bill on a 29-26 roll call that followed party lines.
“We’re experiencing unprecedented rates of global hunger,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrat, in pointing to the increase for Food for Peace. He also cited the $667 million funding increase for the Women, Infants, and Children program, to $7.7 billion for fiscal 2025. The House bill allocated $7.2 billion. “WIC is one of our most effective programs in reducing childhood hunger and improving the long-term success of children and their families,” he said.
Both Heinrich, chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing USDA and FDA funding, and Republican Rep. Andy Harris, who chairs the USDA-FDA subcommittee in the House, said his bill would fully fund WIC.
“Participation rates have been steady in recent months, and the program still has significant carry-over balances,” said Harris during a House Appropriations Committee debate on Wednesday evening. “I believe the increased funding in this bill will be able to serve all eligible participants. USDA also has a $150 million WIC contingency fund to meet any unexpected demand.”
The House and Senate wrangled for months over the proper funding level for WIC for this fiscal year in the face of higher enrollments and rising food costs.
The Senate committee also proposed $250 million for the McGovern-Dole international school food program, a $10 million increase. The House bill would hold funding steady at $240 million.
Overall, the USDA-FDA bills call for roughly $210 billion in outlays in fiscal 2025 for the USDA, FDA, and related agencies. The bulk of the spending is at the USDA.
To watch a video of the Senate Appropriations meeting or to read a summary of the USDA-FDA bill, click here.