Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins: Healthy Food is a Lifeline, Not a Luxury

“Healthy food is not a luxury. It is a lifeline. The House’s decision to advance cuts to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) threatens one of the most successful and effective public health programs in our nation's history. These proposed cuts eligible families on waiting lists for the first time in decades and make it harder for millions of Americans to access healthy, nutritious food. These cuts could also roll back years of progress in improving maternal and child health. Nationwide, WIC serves nearly 6.7 million people each month and reaches approximately 41 percent of all infants born in the United States.

“At a time when families are already struggling with the high cost of groceries, now is not the time to turn our backs on mothers and children. As County Executive, I stand with families, healthcare professionals and anti-hunger advocates in urging Congress to reject these harmful cuts and fully fund WIC. This is a moral responsibility.”