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“PROVIDING WIC BENEFITS TO OVERSEAS MILITARY PERSONNEL” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E942 on May 12, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PROVIDING WIC BENEFITS TO OVERSEAS MILITARY PERSONNEL
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HON. WILLIAM F. GOODLING
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, May 12, 1999
Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that will put an end to unfair treatment of military personnel stationed overseas and their families. These dedicated personnel who are performing invaluable service to the nation, along with their families, are currently ineligible for supplemental nutrition services which we provide for other citizens.
The Department of Defense estimates that 46,658 women, infants, and children are currently denied benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). That means that military personnel and their families, to whom our nation owes substantial gratitude, are being treated as second-class citizens. They are denied basic services which would be available to them had they not volunteered to serve their country.
As a nation, we are better than that. We are already asking men and women who serve in the military to make significant sacrifices. Those sacrifices should not include the health and well being of their families.
Since its inception, we have seen very clear evidence that participation in WIC has reduced the number of low birthweight babies and birth defects caused by poor nutrition during pregnancy. In addition, the nutritional supplements received by infants and young children help prevent health problems related to poor nutrition. This small investment in nutritional assistance for individual participants saves our country a great deal in health care costs and costs related to special education services.
The WIC program also includes an education component which is key to the program's success. These nutrition and education benefits should be available to all U.S. citizens, regardless of where they are residing.
Present law authorizes the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program similar to WIC to provide special supplemental food benefits to military personnel overseas. However, current law relies heavily on the transfer of funds and commodities from the Secretary of Agriculture to operate this program. These funds have never been made available. Therefore, the legislation I am introducing today would call on the Secretary of Defense to use funds available for the Department of Defense to carry out this program. It would also require the Department of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to the Department of Defense to insure program quality.
Mr. Speaker, I believe very strongly that our military personnel overseas should have access to the same nutritional support as families residing in the United States. My legislation would enable the Department of Defense to provide these services. I would encourage my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation, which insures that our overseas military personnel and their families reap the same benefits from program participation.
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