Torres Sounds Alarm on GOP Cutting WIC Funding that Helps Feed Mothers, Infants, and Children

Torres Sounds Alarm on GOP Cutting WIC Funding that Helps Feed Mothers, Infants, and Children

$200M WIC Cut, Reduced Healthy Food Vouchers, and SNAP Cuts Put Millions at Risk

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) during the House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill, spoke out against harmful cuts that would take food off the tables of women, children, and working families. Rep. Torres voted against the bill.

The Republican proposal cuts $200 million from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), reduces access to critical fruit and vegetable benefits, and reflects billions in cuts to SNAP (CalFresh) following Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill."

"This bill doesn't make America healthier, it makes families hungrier," said Congresswoman Torres. "It cuts $200 million from WIC and takes fresh fruits and vegetables away from millions of moms and kids who rely on this program to stay healthy. At a time when families are already struggling with the cost of groceries, Republicans are doubling down on cuts that hit the most vulnerable the hardest."

WIC helps feed mothers from the moment they find out they are pregnant to when their children are five years old. The program helps mothers and babies access free healthy foods, as well as providing breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health resources. Nearly 25,000 mothers, infants, and children benefit from WIC in CA-35.

The bill also fails to fully fund WIC fruit and vegetable vouchers, threatening access to nutritious food for millions of participants nationwide. Torres emphasized that these benefits are essential to improving maternal and child health outcomes. For California, this would mean 827,000 mothers would see an estimated cut of $21,826,000 in total for the vouchers that help purchase fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables.

In addition, the bill includes $6 billion in cuts to SNAP and CalFresh that Republicans pushed through last year with the Big Ugly Law, even as working families struggle with rising food prices. In CA-35, SNAP and CalFresh help nearly 110,000 constituents put food on the table.

"This is a pattern from the Trump Administration and Republicans to cut SNAP, cut WIC, and call it fiscal responsibility," Torres continued. "But families in my district know exactly what this means: fewer groceries, tougher choices, and more moms and babies going without the nutrition they need to grow and succeed."

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