Listen to the article
In the midst of a federal government shutdown, the Trump administration has deployed $750 million in tariff revenue to temporarily sustain the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), according to multiple sources and government records.
The funding, which comes from the Department of Agriculture’s “Section 32” account, was transferred in two installments – an initial $300 million earlier in October followed by an additional $450 million on October 31. These emergency measures were taken as Congress remains deadlocked over a new federal budget, leaving several critical nutrition assistance programs in limbo.
A USDA spokesperson confirmed to reporters that the entire $750 million came from tariff revenue specifically designated as Section 32 funds. Government records accessible through the OpenOMB database document both transfers, though they don’t explicitly identify the funding source.
The National WIC Association and the Food Research & Action Center independently verified the financial maneuvers. On November 3, the National WIC Association announced it had “learned that $450 million in additional federal Section 32 funding” had been allocated to the program, with state agencies expected to receive the funds within days.
Section 32, established by the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, permanently appropriates 30% of customs receipts from all imports in the previous calendar year. This creates a dedicated funding stream from tariff collections that is primarily used to support child nutrition programs, including school meals.
While the infusion of funds provides temporary relief, nutrition advocates warn it represents only a short-term solution. Georgia Machell, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, characterized the funding as a “critical step” that would nevertheless only sustain operations for approximately three weeks. The timeline could shrink further if demand increases due to disruptions in other federal assistance programs.
The situation highlights the disparate impact of the government shutdown on various federal nutrition programs. While the administration found a mechanism to temporarily support WIC, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) faces a different set of challenges.
According to court documents, the USDA has explicitly stated it will not use Section 32 funds for SNAP benefits during the shutdown. In a November 3 court filing, Patrick A. Penn, deputy under secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the USDA, explained the distinction: “Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP.”
Penn noted that while the funding mechanism could adequately support WIC in the short term, SNAP would require at least $4 billion – a scale that would deplete resources needed for child nutrition programs throughout the fiscal year. Instead, the administration is tapping roughly $5 billion in separate contingency funds to provide partial SNAP benefits in November, though distribution timelines remain uncertain.
The funding crisis underscores the vulnerability of nutrition assistance programs during government shutdowns. WIC serves approximately 6.3 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children up to age five, providing essential nutritional support during critical developmental periods.
The creative use of tariff revenue represents an unusual approach to maintaining these services without new congressional appropriations. Section 32 has historically been used primarily for agricultural support and school nutrition programs rather than as emergency funding during government shutdowns.
As the political impasse continues, nutrition assistance advocates stress that these stopgap measures cannot replace the stability of full congressional appropriations. Without a comprehensive funding solution, millions of vulnerable Americans face growing uncertainty about access to basic nutritional support in the coming weeks.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
15 Comments
Interesting to see the Trump administration using tariff revenue to support the WIC program during the government shutdown. It’s good they’re trying to maintain critical nutrition assistance despite the budget impasse.
Agreed, ensuring vulnerable families can access WIC benefits is important even with the political gridlock.
The Trump administration’s decision to use tariff funds to prop up the WIC program during the shutdown seems pragmatic. It’s a reasonable short-term solution to maintain critical nutrition assistance until Congress can resolve the budget stalemate.
Agreed, this is a prudent stopgap measure to ensure continuity of WIC services. Hopefully it’s just a temporary fix until lawmakers can reach a budget compromise.
I’m a bit skeptical of using tariff revenue for this purpose, as it may set a precedent of relying on that funding stream rather than appropriations. But I understand the administration’s rationale given the shutdown impasse.
That’s a fair point. Overreliance on tariff revenue could make the WIC program vulnerable long-term. Congress needs to prioritize a stable budget solution.
It’s good to see the government taking steps to protect vital nutrition assistance for women and children during this political stalemate. Hopefully this temporary fix can hold until a real budget deal is reached.
While I have concerns about relying too heavily on tariff revenue, I appreciate the administration’s effort to prevent vulnerable families from losing access to the WIC program due to the government shutdown.
This seems like a pragmatic solution to temporarily sustain the WIC program until Congress can resolve the budget issues. Tapping into tariff revenue is a creative way to provide that stopgap funding.
Yes, it’s a reasonable short-term fix to keep the WIC program running during the shutdown. Hopefully Congress can reach a more permanent solution soon.
I’m curious to see how sustainable this tariff revenue funding model will be for the WIC program long-term. While it’s a clever workaround for the shutdown, Congress needs to find a more stable solution.
That’s a fair point. Relying too much on tariff revenue could create new vulnerabilities for the WIC program down the line. Policymakers should prioritize a durable budget fix.
Using tariff funds to keep the WIC program running during the government shutdown is a pragmatic move, but I share concerns about the precedent it could set. Hopefully this is just a temporary fix until Congress can pass a real budget.
Allocating $750 million from tariff revenue to sustain the WIC program is a reasonable emergency measure given the government shutdown. It’s important these critical social services don’t get caught in the political crossfire.
Agreed, the administration deserves credit for finding a way to maintain WIC benefits during the budget impasse.