Minnesota State Wire

Pete Stauber, Representative of Minnesota, said that President Trump provided a creative solution to keep the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program funded. He argued that Democrats refused to fund the government, which affected vulnerable families. The statement was made on X.

"I'm grateful to President Donald J. Trump for stepping in and finding a creative solution to save WIC after Senate Democrats' repeated refusal to fund the government left millions of mothers and children without support," said Peter Allen Stauber, U.S. Representative of Minnesota's 8th Congressional District (R). "The American people will not forget that Democrats were willing to put partisan politics over the best interests of vulnerable families."

In October 2025, during a government shutdown, the White House moved to keep WIC operating by directing $300 million in tariff revenues to the program. Congressional Democrats pushed bills to safeguard funding. According to AP News, this temporary infusion aimed to avert immediate service gaps as states warned funds could run dry within days. Politico noted delays and confusion over when money would arrive. The National WIC Association urged Congress for full-year funding.

Nationwide WIC participation in 2025 has hovered around 6–7 million monthly. As reported by The Guardian, roughly 6.7 million mothers and children depend on the program and were at risk of disrupted benefits during the October shutdown. USDA’s data tables confirm millions participate each month, underscoring the scale of potential impact if stopgaps lapse. Advocates warned shortfalls could trigger waitlists or paused enrollments.

Compared with prior lapses, October 2025 relied on a $150 million USDA contingency fund and a one-time $300 million tariff transfer while states weighed carryover and rebate funds. As reported by PBS NewsHour and USDA shutdown plans, responses in 2013 and 2018–2019 similarly used limited contingency and state front-funding with later reimbursement; experts cautioned such patches last about one to two weeks. The current approach mirrors those stopgaps but at a larger scale.

Rep. Pete Stauber is a Republican representing Minnesota’s 8th District and serves on Natural Resources (Energy & Mineral Resources Chair), Small Business, and Transportation & Infrastructure committees according to the Office of the Clerk and his official pages. First elected in 2018, he focuses on mining, energy, and rural economies and has engaged on appropriations affecting northern Minnesota. His committee roles position him on issues intersecting food access and community services.

Minnesota’s 8th District covers northeastern Minnesota, anchored by Duluth and the Iron Range, with a largely rural population and median income near $75k as reported by Wikipedia’s district profile. Stauber represents this area in the U.S. House. Minnesota’s WIC program is administered statewide by the Department of Health through local agencies serving eligible mothers and young children across this district and the state.