Secretary Brooke Rollins said food stamps are meant to be used for nutritious food.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Aug. 4 signed waivers filed by Colorado and five other states allowing them to ban the use of food stamps to buy soda and other sugary drinks.
“Since my confirmation, our department has encouraged states to think differently and creatively about how to solve the many health issues facing Americans. One way is by not allowing taxpayer-funded benefits to be used to purchase unhealthy items like soda, candy, and other junk food,” Rollins said.
Federal law states that the purpose of the food stamp program, known as SNAP, is to provide low-income families money to supplement their grocery budget “to obtain a more nutritious diet.”
Yet, according to Department of Agriculture research, sugary drinks are the top item purchased with food stamps.
“We all believe in free choice. We live in a democracy. People can make their own choices about what they’re going to buy, about what they’re not going to buy,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at the signing event. “If you want to buy a sugary soda, you ought to be able to do that. But the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it.”
Rollins approved waivers from Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia.
“I’m happy now that in West Virginia, taxpayers are not going to be subsidizing soda and these sugary drinks—things that have no nutritional value and are directly linked to obesity, diabetes, and a lot of other terrible health care outcomes,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrissey said at the event.
The agriculture secretary previously approved waivers from Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah.
The waivers give states the ability to place restrictions on the types of foods and drinks for which food stamps can be spent.
The waivers can vary. Nebraska’s waiver, for instance, bans purchasing soda, other soft drinks, and energy drinks, while Indiana’s waiver targets soft drinks and candy.
Rollins said she’s encouraging governors of states that have not yet submitted waivers to do so.
