Congress can reduce hunger during the pandemic by extending the 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits and providing an additional $3 billion for WIC, as suggested by President Biden, said Sen. Bob Casey to the Consumer Federation of America on Tuesday. “We have to stay on that path where we’re focused on substantial investments” in public nutrition.
“There’s still much that Congress…has to do to address food insecurity,” said Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, pointing to SNAP and WIC. Biden would extend the 15 percent coronavirus increase in SNAP benefits, due to lapse on June 30, through Sept. 30 and provide a “multi-year investment” of $3 billion for WIC to cover increased enrollment and outreach to low-income families.
The think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said the share of eligible families participating in WIC has fallen over the past decade, so outreach is needed. “Participating in WIC leads to better health for infants, more nutritious diets and better health care for children, and higher academic achievement for students. Connecting more eligible women and young children to WIC could also reduce stark racial disparities in these areas,” wrote Zoe Neuberger in the Center on Budget blog.
Biden’s plan includes data sharing by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to identify families enrolled in federal social services programs and who could be eligible for WIC, as well as improved coordination with state and local agencies to encourage enrollment, said Neuberger.