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John,
Last night, the Senate passed a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. And, thanks to you, there were no cuts to critical programs, nor new right-wing policy riders that harm vulnerable communities.
This victory is thanks to the thousands of messages you sent to members of Congress, helping to avert a crisis for now. Thank you.
Unfortunately, the bill did not include critical additional funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), child care, or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
While many of us are gathering with family, policymakers left Washington without ensuring families can put food on the table in the coming year. Due to rising costs and stagnant wages, WIC participation greatly increased to nearly 6.6 million people this year.1 A lack of increased funding could result in states turning people away in the coming months, unless we act.2
Additionally, Congress must prevent 3.2 million children from losing child care,3 and must address the national utility crisis by providing $1.6 billion in supplemental funding for the LIHEAP program as requested by the Biden administration.4
We’re keeping the pressure on Congress, demanding they prioritize funding increases for essential nutrition, child care, and energy programs when they return to Washington immediately after their Thanksgiving break.
Donate today to power our critical advocacy on behalf of vulnerable households this holiday season.
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We must ensure that vulnerable communities get the help they need, otherwise, the impact will be felt for generations and will severely exacerbate income and racial inequity in this country.
Thank you for all you do,
Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, Coalition on Human Needs
1 USDA August 2023 Keydata Report
2 WIC Needs Additional Funding to Avoid Forcing New Parents and Young Children Onto Waiting Lists
3 Child Care Cliff: 3.2 Million Children Likely to Lose Spots with End of Federal Funds
4 Nearly 20 million households are behind on their utility bills
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