NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — According to new numbers from the White House more than 7 million moms could lose help with paying for food if there's a government shutdown.
This message comes just days away from the deadline for lawmakers to pass a deal in D.C.
Lawmakers say only time will tell if a shutdown happens or not. If there is a shutdown, women and children who count on WIC could soon start being turned away at grocery store counters.
White House numbers show more than 133,000 people in Tennessee receive WIC assistance. Almost 120,000 people in Kentucky receive those benefits.
There's currently a debate by the house on what resolution should be put in place to avoid a shutdown. House Republicans proposed cuts to programs families use. There was a vote by House Republicans to move four spending bills, but time is running out with government funding set to dry up by the end of the week.
The four GOP bills create deep spending cuts, but they aren't expected to get past the democrat-controlled senate. Yesterday, the senate overwhelmingly voted to bring up its own short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution. Those bills would keep the government funded through mid-November and would include billions of dollars toward disaster relief and Ukraine funding.
In the midst of this, thousands of government workers face furloughs, while others could be forced to work without pay if congress doesn't act.
