Iowa bill requires WIC recipients to be U.S. citizens or legal residents

The Iowa House has passed a bill that would prevent women and children in Iowa who are in the country illegally from receiving federal food assistance from the Women, Infants and Children program. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Austin Harris, argued that only U.S. citizens and legal residents should be eligible for these benefits. If passed, the bill would allow children under the age of five with legal status to receive WIC benefits, but not if their mother is an illegal alien. The Iowa Senate has yet to vote on the policy.