Organizational Sign-On Letter to Protect WIC & CVB

Subject: Fully fund WIC and protect the fruit and vegetable benefit for families

Dear Members of the House of Representatives,

We, the undersigned organizations and businesses within Washington State, write to ask you to fully fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and to protect the fruit and vegetable benefit that helps provide nutritious food for millions of families.

The WIC fruit and vegetable benefit, also known as the Cash Value Benefit (CVB), is one of the most valued parts of the program. Since Congress increased the amount in 2021, families have been able to buy more fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables every month. Parents tell us this benefit makes it easier to feed their children nutritious foods, try new produce, and stretch their food budgets.

Importantly, the higher CVB amount is science-based: it follows recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) – an independent, nonprofit organization that provides expert, evidence-based guidance to policymakers. The recommendation comes from NASEM’s comprehensive 2017 report, “Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice.” The CVB increase is sometimes misunderstood as a temporary COVID boost — but in fact, it was put in place to bring WIC benefits more in line with what nutrition science shows families actually need.

Rolling back the CVB to pre-2021 levels would ultimately reduce the monthly benefit for children from about $26 to just $10, and some adult food packages would be cut by 72–75% — far below what nutrition experts recommend. Even the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed ~10% cut to the CVB is still harmful: it would move WIC away from science-based standards and mean less healthy food for families each month, especially when food prices remain high. Any cut would undo recent progress in improving diet quality and health.

We ask Congress to:

• Fully fund WIC to serve all eligible participants without waitlists.
• Keep the current fruit and vegetable benefits recommended by NASEM and aligned with expert nutrition guidance.
• Reject any proposals to cut or limit the CVB or change the WIC food package in the appropriations process.

WIC has a long history of bipartisan support because it works and is backed by science: it keeps moms and kids healthier, helps families buy nutritious foods, and saves healthcare costs in the long run. Protecting the science-based fruit and vegetable benefit is a simple, common-sense way to make sure WIC continues to do what it does best.

Thank you for your commitment to the health of women, infants, and children across the country.

Sincerely,

[Organization name]
[Additional signers]

To sign-on to this letter
‍here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNIvVX3fTi7KYq7BJmZlGtEMBZ2k6pwhJFYHfbe3OQh58Xgg/viewform?usp=header