With the federal government shutdown now well into its second full week, a critical government program that serves pregnant and nursing mothers and their children is feeling the pinch.
About 100,000 South Carolinians receive free healthy meals, breastfeeding support and nutrition education through the Women, Infants and Children program, which is funded by the federal government and managed by the state Department of Public Health (DPH). One of the fathers of that program was the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., who wrote a highly touted policy book in 1970 called The Case Against Hunger.
Today, according to federal and state officials across the country, the federal shutdown immediately stopped the flow of funds to the states, forcing some, like Mississippi, to temporarily limit access to the program in order to protect current beneficiaries.
But here in South Carolina, a DPH official told Statehouse Report on Oct. 9 that it hasn’t had to take similar measures — yet.
“Currently we are able to operate all programs as usual,” DPH spokesperson Casey White said in a statement. “Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, we may have to make some adjustments in the future.”
The shutdown began at midnight on Oct. 1, when Republicans couldn’t muster 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to break a Democratic budget filibuster. Democrats say they won’t agree to the spending package until Republicans agree to restore the Affordable Care Act subsidies that keep health insurance rates affordable for 24 million Americans.
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