Heinrich Meets with Jennifer Garner, discusses WIC, early childhood education

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, met with award-winning actress Jennifer Garner, trustee of Save the Children, at his Washington, D.C., office Tuesday.

Garner thanked Heinrich for leading the effort to secure full funding for WIC in fiscal year 2024 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.

“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,” Heinrich said. “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 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, New Mexico, to demonstrate Save the Children’s support for continued funding on initiatives to support healthy outcomes for children.