WASHINGTON (VINnews) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to ban the purchase of sugary sodas using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, citing rising concerns over childhood obesity and diabetes.
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“If you want to buy a sugary soda — the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it,” Kennedy said. “The U.S. taxpayer should not be paying to feed kids foods, the poorest kids in the country, that will give them diabetes.”
Kennedy noted that the federal government spends approximately $405 million a day on SNAP. “About 10% of that is going to sugary drinks,” he said. “If you add candies to that, it’s about 13% to 17%.”
The proposal marks one of the most aggressive federal attempts to regulate SNAP purchases in decades. While previous efforts to restrict junk food under the program have faced legal and political challenges, Kennedy’s team says it is exploring regulatory options to bypass congressional gridlock.
Advocates of the ban argue it will improve public health outcomes and reduce long-term medical costs, while critics warn it could stigmatize recipients and limit personal choice.
The move is likely to ignite a fierce debate over the scope of government intervention in nutritional welfare programs.
I thought that decision is up to each individual State.
I never thought I would agree with Crackpot Kennedy. But here I am agreeing with him. Personal choice? Sure you have the choice to spend your own money to become obese.
This is great.
Food Stamps should be for basic & healthy food only!
Next, at least in my state EBT(not sure if food stamps are now called this in other states as well) allows you to buy food at Jack in the Box, KFC etc. l think that’s outrageous.
Back when they were giving food stamps which were paper currency it looked like Monopoly money ,you could only buy food .. not candy or soda
Food Stamps recipients are already stigmatized, this would not increase that as the second to last paragraph says. In fact, it would help eliminate the stigma of a cart full of garbage products always being a food stamp user. Personal choice is still there as well, your earned dollar bills equals your choice purchases, the same idea as alcohol. As a former food stamp recipient, these arguments for keeping garbage snacks, aside from States Rights on the issue, are pathetic. Cookies, chips, soda and frozen prepared meals should all be cut by the States themselves, leaving Bigger Brother out of it.
OY VEY good goyim!
Soros applauds your government over-reach!
Seventy four thousand gorillion shekels entering my 401K right now from this!
congratulations to israel for getting even more of america’s tax cuts
Trump isn’t on your side.
He’s on Israel’s side.
Isreal First instead of America first.
Everything you’ve paid for will go to Israel.
Sooner or later, they’ll make you fight wars and die for Israel.
You’ll thank them for it too.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!
Good point. Can you buy cigarettes with food stamps? Why should our tax dollars pay for slow acting poisons like high fructose corn syrup & aspartame?
Thank you again & again Secretary for the MAHA revolution of common sense. Ignore all the naysayer crackpots.
It’s POP.
Might as well just ban flour so they can’t bake brownies or sugar. & I guess only poor people should be healthy.
Mayim chaim also?
Does this mean my Shul will no longer be able to serve opened 6 months ago, 3 liter bottles of warm, flat generic Cola at our Ruv appreciation Grand Kiddush?