1776Reporting
The U.S. government may soon stop food stamp recipients from buying sugary drinks and junk food. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the potential policy shift on Friday, aiming to reshape the nation’s largest nutrition program.
Rollins, recently appointed to President Trump’s cabinet, vowed to prioritize healthy choices for low-income families. She plans to work alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to overhaul food-stamp spending.
“Will we ever take food out of a hungry child’s mouth? Of course not, this is the United States of America,” Rollins declared to reporters outside the White House.
The Agriculture Secretary pointed to explosive growth in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the previous administration. “Truly, this program has grown so large, especially in the last administration. Under Biden, I think [SNAP] grew almost 30% more than before. We really need to look at where that money is going, what it’s being spent on,” she said.
Rollins stressed that food stamps should promote healthier diets, especially for children. “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?”
The push for reform comes as Rollins and Kennedy join President Trump’s newly formed 13-member Make America Healthy Again commission. Both were confirmed by the Senate on Thursday.
According to the USDA, 42.1 million people received SNAP benefits in fiscal 2023, with the program costing $112.8 billion annually. On average, recipients received $211.93 per month.
Congress is already exploring ways to restrict unhealthy purchases. A bill introduced by Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) would prohibit using SNAP benefits for “soft drinks, candy, ice cream, prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, or similar products.”
Meanwhile, a bipartisan proposal from Brecheen and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) seeks to authorize a study on SNAP spending to prioritize nutrition security and healthier eating habits.
Rollins welcomed the involvement of Elon Musk’s DOGE team, hoping their business mindset would drive smarter spending. “Oftentimes these government programs are started with the idea that you’re going to help people — it’s not a handout, it’s a hand up — and then years later the programs are even bigger and more people on them. And are we really giving people a hand up or is it really a handout?” she questioned.
With a reform-focused team in place, Rollins expects data-driven results. “If we can have a whole other group of really smart people looking at SNAP and other programs at USDA that will allow us to ensure, ‘What are our metrics for success?’” she said.
The debate over food choices and government aid is heating up, with supporters arguing for healthier outcomes and critics warning of overreach. As Congress deliberates, millions of Americans on SNAP await a decision that could change their grocery lists—and their health.
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