The federal government shutdown is already stopping food aid for low-income mothers and babies across the United States. States are pausing benefits even as the White House says it will use tariff money to keep the program running. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, is quickly running out of money as the shutdown goes into its second week.
Trump administration officials said Tuesday that they would use tariff revenue to fund WIC until the government reopens. But the money has not started flowing to the states yet. This leaves agencies and families unsure about when help will come. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump found a creative solution to move resources from Section 232 tariff revenue to the program.
According to Politico, Ali Hard, policy director at the National WIC Association, said states are still in the dark about key details. “We have gotten no information about how much money would be available, when it would be available to states or what states would be able to use it for,” Hard told reporters. Lawmakers and their staff were also not told about the administration’s plans to use tariff revenue. They have not heard when the funds will be sent.
Families Face Immediate Crisis As Benefits Stop
The wait is already hurting people. The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada WIC, which serves hundreds of Native and non-native low-income families, said its offices would close and benefits would be cut off starting Thursday. Program director Blanca Plascencia-Reyna said the team feels very sad about the interruption. She said it will hurt families, especially those in rural and tribal communities where getting food is already hard.
Mississippi has created waiting lists for new people who want to join because the state cannot accept certain participants during the shutdown. The state is only signing up pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and high-risk infants. All other new people who apply must wait. The struggles with Medicaid and healthcare programs in Mississippi have been a worry for political leaders across the country.
By the end of this week, Sedgwick County in Kansas expects to run out of money for staff who run the program. The county serves 5,000 families. This includes staff who give help with nutrition and breastfeeding. A $150 million federal backup fund kept the program going through the first week of the shutdown.
But states have been using their own money to support the costs of running the program. They expect the USDA will pay them back later. WIC gives infant formula, special nutrition packages and breastfeeding support to nearly seven million low-income moms and children across the country.
Published: Oct 9, 2025 11:22 am