WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan joined her colleagues in calling on Congress to invest $6 billion in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in next year’s spending bill. The number of people in New Hampshire struggling with food insecurity has increased an estimated 69 percent because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that one in seven Granite Staters is food insecure.

WIC providers have reported increased need due to the pandemic and economic crisis. With a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the country threatening public health and economic recovery, ensuring that WIC is fully funded is more critical than ever to keep low-income women, infants, and children fed.

“As a result of this pandemic, for the first time in their lives, thousands of Granite Staters need extra help to feed their families,” Senator Hassan said. “WIC provides critical food assistance for low-income women and children in New Hampshire, and due to the economic devastation brought on by the pandemic, their services are needed more than ever. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to include full-funding for this vital program in an end-of-year spending package, and I will keep working to support Granite Staters through this challenging time.”

Senator Hassan is working to support Granite Staters who are food insecure amid the pandemic. Senator Hassan and the rest of the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation successfully pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to select a new distributor for the New Hampshire Food Bank under the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which came after the delegation raised concerns about the delivery of inferior, low-quality food products for Granite State families in need amid the pandemic. Additionally, following efforts led by Senator Hassan, the United States Department of Agriculture also agreed to fully extend school meal waivers through the end of the 2020-2021 school year, giving schools the flexibility that they need to fully serve students whether or not they are attending school in person.

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