Federal dollars to feed low-income young mothers and children will quickly start drying up in the event of a government shutdown.
If lawmakers fail to reach agreement to keep the government open, Agriculture Department officials must decide whether to tap a $150 million contingency fund to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — commonly referred to as WIC — running in the short term. The program provides free nutritious food to qualifying pregnant women and infants.
A potential funding shortfall comes as lawmakers face an impasse on a federal funding deal hours from the end ...