White House budget director Mick Mulvaney claims Meals on Wheels is 'not showing any results.' Meals on Wheels says otherwise.

Meals and Wheels responds to comments from OMB Director Mick Mulvaney.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

published 16 March 2017

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday defended President Trump's budget proposal's plan to slash funding for programs like Meals on Wheels, insisting the food delivery program is among those "not showing any results." "We can't do that anymore. We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good," Mulvaney said of the program that provides meals for the impoverished elderly.

In a statement Thursday, Meals on Wheels noted Trump's budget cuts could have serious implications for its network that operates more than 5,000 local programs, though it pointed out further details on the budget have yet to be released. "So, while we don't know the exact impact yet, cuts of any kind to these highly successful and leveraged programs would be a devastating blow to our ability to provide much-needed care for millions of vulnerable seniors in America, which in turn saves billions of dollars in reduced health-care expenses," said Meals on Wheels America CEO and President Ellie Hollander.

The Washington Post's Christopher Ingraham highlighted that numerous peer-reviewed studies have found "home-delivered meal programs to significantly improve diet quality, increase nutrient intakes, and reduce food insecurity and nutritional risk among participants." Becca Stanek