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U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack tells WUWM about local grant for nutrition program

Official portrait of Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. Secretary Vilsack was confirmed as the 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture on Feb. 23, 2021 by the U.S. Senate.
He was nominated by President Joe Biden to return to a role where he served for eight years under President Barack Obama. USDA photo by Tom Witham
Tom Witham
Official portrait of Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. Secretary Vilsack

The local Hunger Task Force is receiving $220,760 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen awareness and enrollment in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program.

How do we know? The other day, WUWM heard it straight from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Vilsack told WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach that while Republicans in Congress are trying to reduce funding for WIC, the grant to the Hunger Task Force aims to encourage more low-income families in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties — and in rural and tribal areas — to sign up.

The Hunger Task Force says it's, "honored to be chosen to increase enrollment in the Women, Infants and Children Program," saying the program is "woefully under-enrolled." The Task Force says the move by conservatives to cut funding for WIC is "shameful."

But the website "Successful Farming" reports a Republican House member says "tough decisions have to be made to get rid of wasteful spending."

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