House Speaker Mike Johnson warns everyday Americans face risks during government shutdown, citing concerns about the WIC nutrition program and FEMA disaster response funding.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is warning that everyday Americans could be at risk in a prolonged government shutdown.
The top House Republican sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, the first day of the ongoing government shutdown.
Asked how long he thought it would continue, Johnson said he was praying for a short ordeal.
«My expectation is that I don’t know how it could go longer than a week or so, because so many people have been so adversely affected by this», Johnson said.
He pointed to two programs that he was concerned about in particular: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
«[Democrats are] talking about healthcare. Not only did their counter-proposal say they wanted to cut the rural hospital fund and do all these other things, but what’s happening right now in the shutdown is that the WIC program is now unfunded — women, infants and children nutrition. That’s not a small thing», Johnson said.
WIC provides free nutrition support to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children under age 5.
