Press Conference on the Women, Infants & Children Program

                                               Release No.0157.97

                                
Remarks
                              of 
                     Secretary Dan Glickman
   Press Conference on the Women, Infants & Children Program
                  Capitol Hill -- May 13, 1997

     Thank you. I'm proud to be here today. The Women, Infants and Children
Program is dear to my heart, to President Clinton, to this Administration,
to many in this Congress, including those who are here with me today. But
most importantly, the WIC Program is dear to the hearts of the vast majority
of Americans.

     We are here today not just to ask that an amendment be put in order.
We are here today to ensure that America's priorities are kept in order.

     This is not a nation that wants its children to go hungry. This is not
a nation that wants pregnant moms and newborns to go without basic medical
attention that helps get our kids off to a healthy start. In this, the most
prosperous nation in the world, it is not too much to ask that our children
be shielded from malnourishment and the lifetime of chronic illness that can
result.

     That is why this is a nation with a strong WIC Program. Today, WIC
reaches more than 7.4 million women, infants and children -- more than ever
before in the program's history. That's something this Administration is
very proud of. It means that we as a nation are finally opening our eyes to
the full extent of the problem of hunger and malnutrition in America. 

     We're recognizing the needs of pregnant women and children, and we're
doing the right thing. We're taking responsibility for our kids ... all our
kids. Why? Because here in America, there is no such thing as other people's
children.

     Many of you know that President Clinton and the First Lady recently
held a White House Conference on Early Child Development. There, top medical
experts confirmed what many parents have long felt: From birth to age 3 is a
critical period in a child's development. Proper prenatal and childhood
nutrition is pivotal. It lays the groundwork for a lifetime of physical and
mental growth.  

     This is no place to cut corners. 

     Ask WIC parents. They'll tell you that this program transforms the
life of every child it touches ... many times saving lives and making the
difference between a healthy and a heartbroken family.

     Ask teachers. They'll tell you proper nutrition is essential to a
child's ability to learn and pay attention in the classroom.

     Ask doctors who cite lower infant mortalities, less childhood anemia
and other ailments. For every preventive dollar we put into the WIC program,
we save $3.50 in Medicaid and other hospital expenses. Why treat an illness,
when you can avoid it for less?
                                
     And, ask some of America's top CEOs. They asked a House subcommittee:
Why wouldn't we invest in the work force of the future -- a 21st century
workforce that will value mind over muscle. Fully fund the WIC program, they
say.

     For 40% of children born in the United States today, WIC is the
foundation for their American Dream. How could we deny tens of thousands of
our children the ability to grow to their full potential? Who decides which
child goes without? That is an inexcusable position to put or public health
advocates in.

     WIC works, perhaps better than any other government program in
existence. It is a litmus test of our values, and for a simple reason:
Children come into this world utterly helpless. How they are received and
cared for says a lot about our nation. 

     Let's get it right. Let's get the politics out of the WIC program, and
let's get a strong non-partisan vote today for plain old-fashioned American
family values.

Thank you.
                                 
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