Half a dozen more states asked the USDA to ban soda and junk food purchases with food stamps

During a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the Trump administration is taking historic steps to eliminate junk food from food stamp programs.

On Monday, Rollins was in Nebraska to sign the first waiver with Republican Governor Jim Pillen. She also signed similar waivers for Indiana and Iowa, with plans for six more states to follow.

At the Thursday event, which highlighted a 69-page report from the MAHA Commission addressing childhood chronic diseases, Rollins stated, “We are on track to sign multiple SNAP waivers to remove junk food and sugary drinks from our food stamp system. This has never happened before under any administration, and I am very proud and grateful.”

According to the MAHA report, around 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, and 1 in 5 American children under 17 rely on these benefits.

With the waiver signed for Nebraska, it became the first state to prevent food stamp recipients from using their benefits to buy junk food, soda, and other high-sugar items. This ban will start as a two-year pilot program. Other Republican-led states, such as Texas and West Virginia, have also applied for this waiver.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote to Rollins, emphasizing that SNAP was designed to increase access to nutritious food, but many purchases are for items that lack nutritional value. He celebrated the opportunity to restrict the purchase of junk food with SNAP benefits, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent on healthy food.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, who is also seeking a waiver, has been active in promoting MAHA initiatives in his state. In March, he signed House Bill 2354, making West Virginia the first state to ban certain synthetic dyes and additives in food products sold within the state.