Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Americans on food stamps may be prohibited from using them to purchase ‘junk food,’ the New York Post reports.
Rollins said she would work with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to ensure food-stamp benefits go towards healthy food choices.
JUST IN:
US government looks to ban the purchase of ‘junk food’ using food stamps, following Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s confirmation. pic.twitter.com/q6LTjVTb4j
— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) February 16, 2025
“Will we ever take food out of a hungry child’s mouth? Of course not, this is the United States of America, Rollins said, according to the New York Post.
“Truly, this program has grown so large, especially in the last administration. Under Biden, I think [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] grew almost 30% more than before. We really need to look at where that money is going, what it’s being spent on,” she continued.
BREAKING: Trump administration may ban the use of food stamps for purchasing junk food, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins leading the effort alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 16, 2025
From the New York Post:
“I look forward to working with Bobby Kennedy as we figure out, ‘Do we have the healthiest choices?’ So when a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are we OK with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious?”
Rollins and Kennedy were both confirmed by the Senate Thursday and will serve on President Trump’s new 13-member Make America Healthy Again commission.
In fiscal 2023, 42.1 million people received SNAP benefits, according to USDA.
ADVERTISEMENTThe program’s cost was $112.8 billion annually, with benefits averaging $211.93 per month.
It’s unclear how the plan might work, though the idea already is under consideration in Congress.
Rollins says she plans to work with RFK Jr. to possibly ban food stamps from applying to junk food https://t.co/UVOOUTCudB
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) February 16, 2025
House Republicans are working on legislation prohibiting SNAP benefits from going toward junk food purchases.
“President Trump has been given a mandate by the majority of Americans to Make America Healthy Again, and those in his administration, like RFK Jr. and Senator Marco Rubio, have directly advocated for eliminating junk food purchases with SNAP,” Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), who is leading “The Healthy SNAP Act,” told Fox News Digital.
“If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that’s up to them. But what we’re saying is, don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences,” he added.
“RFK Jr. is right! We shouldn’t be spending 10% of SNAP benefits on sugary drinks. Our Healthy SNAP Act would bring much needed reform,” Brecheen previously said.
RFK Jr. is right! We shouldn’t be spending 10% of SNAP benefits on sugary drinks. Our Healthy SNAP Act would bring much needed reform. pic.twitter.com/F6xPqfLBxm
— Congressman Josh Brecheen (@RepBrecheen) February 4, 2025
Per Fox News:
Brecheen’s bill would bar the use of food stamps to buy “soft drinks, candy, ice cream, prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, or similar products,” according to legislative text obtained by Fox News Digital.
Seven Republicans have backed the legislation as co-sponsors.
As the Oklahoma Republican referenced, Secretary of State nominee Rubio did back efforts to reform SNAP last year.
ADVERTISEMENTHe unveiled a bipartisan bill with Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., to enable the federal government to collect more data on SNAP purchases and “add improving nutrition security and diet quality to Congress’ declaration of policy for SNAP.”
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