A no vote on HF 2716 will protect children and families

Members of the Johnson County Food Access Network — a coalition of food pantries, meal sites, and food distribution organizations working to prevent hunger in Johnson County, Iowa — urge lawmakers to vote NO on House File 2716.

At its core, this bill would take away food from pregnant mothers, infants, and young children.

HF 2716 would restrict eligibility for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) based on citizenship status, barring undocumented immigrants as well as many lawfully present humanitarian immigrants. This includes our neighbors who are refugees, asylees, and those who are legally in the United States without permanent status.

“What children eat in the first five years affects them for life. Lawmakers have no business putting a child’s life at risk just because their parents weren’t born here,” notes John Boller, Executive Director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry.

No other state in the country has imposed this kind of restriction on WIC: Iowa would stand alone in cutting vulnerable mothers and children off from a vital nutrition program–and it would not even save the state any money. WIC is a federally funded program, and for every $1 invested, $2.48 is saved in medical and long-term productivity costs. The bill would undermine children’s health while increasing future costs.

“This proposed change to WIC would punish hardworking Johnson County families who are already doing everything they can to provide for their children,” says Deb Dunkhase of Open Heartland, a nonprofit organization that provides immigrant families with access to vital resources. “Every parent deserves the dignity of a healthy pregnancy and the chance to raise their child with the support they need.”

The bill goes further. HF 2716 would require families to live in Iowa for 12 months before qualifying for certain public assistance programs and would shorten the time SNAP benefits can sit unused before being removed.

"Families shouldn't have to prove how long they've lived in Iowa just to put food on the table," notes Ryan Bobst, Executive Director of the North Liberty Community Pantry. "This policy creates durational residency requirements on families that are expressly prohibited by federal regulations. This is an excuse to cut eligible people from essential support - causing more people to seek support from an already overburdened food pantry network."

“Life doesn’t pause, and neither should access to critical food,” points out Adrianne Korbakes, Chief Operating Officer at CommUnity Crisis Services. “Expunging benefits after three months will hurt families dealing with illness, job loss, or sudden disruption, which will only deepen hardship."

Food access is not a partisan issue. It is about children’s health, family stability, and the long-term well-being of our community. Restricting nutrition support will not reduce need. It will simply shift greater strain onto local food access organizations and the families we serve.

Together, we urge our representatives to protect children and families by voting "no" on HF 2716.

Submitted by the following members of the Johnson County Food Access Network:

CommUnity Crisis Services; Coralville Community Food Pantry; Faith United Church of Christ; Iowa City Free Lunch Program; North Liberty Community Pantry; Open Heartland; Resurrection Assembly of God; Saint Andrew Food Market; Solon Community Food Pantry; St. Joseph’s Pantry (Hills) and Table to Table,