Heinrich Meets with Jennifer Garner, Discusses Successful Work to Secure Full Funding for WIC & Invest in Early Childhood Education

PHOTO & VIDEO 

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, welcomed award-winning actress Jennifer Garner, Trustee of Save the Children, to his Washington, D.C. office. 

Garner thanked Heinrich for leading the effort to secure full funding for WIC in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, and for fighting for continued investment in early childhood education in New Mexico and across the country.

CAPTION: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, & Related Agencies, hosts Jennifer Garner in his Washington, D.C. office to discuss efforts to support women and children in the FY24 Appropriations bill, March 5, 2024.

“I appreciated the visit with Jennifer Garner today and I’m proud to continue our work together to deliver a better future for the next generation,” said Heinrich. “As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for vital nutrition programs, I will continue to stand tall for the millions of women and children who rely on critical programs like WIC to put food on the table. I look forward to partnering with Save the Children as we make sure the investments that we’ve secured in this Appropriations bill reach more working families in New Mexico.”

The Agriculture Appropriations bill that Heinrich authored and led bipartisan negotiations on includes full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children—better known as WIC—which serves nearly 7 million women and children nationwide. It also includes $11,208,150 for 20 local projects across New Mexico. 

The bill also fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves an estimated 42 million people per month and the Child Nutrition Programs —like the School Lunch program, school breakfast program, and summer EBT program—to ensure schools can continue to serve healthy meals to kids.

Garner’s visit comes after a recent visit by Garner to Santa Fe, N.M. in her capacity as Trustee for Save the Children to meet with state legislators on the need for investments in early childhood education and care. Garner also visited with students and home visitors in Bloomfield, N.M. to demonstrate Save the Children’s support for continued funding on initiatives to support healthy outcomes for children.

About Save the Children:

Save the Children was launched in 1919 on the premise that every child deserves a future. Today, over 100 years later, Save the Children works in the United States and around the world to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. 

Save the Children has had programs in New Mexico since 2022, providing support in San Juan and Sierra Counties, including to immigrant and Native American children and families. Save the Children partners with local schools, families, businesses, and community organizations across 24 rural counties in New Mexico. 

In 2023, Save the Children helped prepare and distribute 491,529 meals to New Mexican children in need, and reached 98,117 children through early education, in-school programming, community impact, and nutrition support.