Trump's FY2027 budget would slash WIC fruit and vegetable benefits by 75 percent (April 14, 2026 )
April 14, 2026 — President Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request proposes reducing the WIC cash value benefit for fruits and vegetables by as much as 75 percent — from $52 to $13 per month for breastfeeding mothers, and from $26 to $10 per month for young children — a move the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates would eliminate $1.4 billion in food benefits for roughly 5.4 million parents and young children.
The proposal would roll WIC's fruit and vegetable benefit back below pre-2021 levels, reversing a science-based increase introduced that year that research showed improved dietary quality for low-income families. The National WIC Association said the cuts "break with the Trump Administration's support for WIC during the 2025 government shutdown and directly contradict the administration's stated goal to Make America Healthy Again." It marked the second consecutive year the administration had proposed cuts to the WIC fruit and vegetable component.
Congress has for 30 years maintained a bipartisan commitment to fully fund WIC for all eligible applicants, and reaffirmed that commitment with full FY2026 funding in November 2025. The FY2027 proposed funding level would be insufficient to provide all anticipated participants with full benefits. Advocates warned that depriving young children of fruits and vegetables during critical developmental windows could have lasting negative health consequences — precisely the opposite of what the MAHA agenda claims to pursue.
| https://www.newsweek.com/wic-benefits-face-major-change-under-trump-admins-new-plan-11828882 |