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Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed waivers with three states on Tuesday, allowing them to prohibit participants of the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from buying junk food, like soda and candy, through the social welfare program.
Arkansas, Idaho and Utah became the latest states to obtain waivers from the federal government to begin banning junk food within the federally administered, but state-operated, public assistance program that provides food stamps to low-income individuals.
The three states have become the latest to obtain waivers from the Trump administration that allow states to restrict what type of food SNAP funds are eligible to be used on.
Other mostly GOP-led states, like Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa, have also obtained waivers to reform their SNAP programs. Last month, during a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event at the White House, Rollins indicated that several states were lining up to get the waivers.
NEBRASKA BECOMES FIRST STATE APPROVED TO BAN SODA PURCHASES WITH FOOD STAMPS
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, left, Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Getty Images)
“Since my confirmation, [the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)] has encouraged states to think differently and creatively about how to solve the many health issues facing Americans,” Rollins said at a press conference announcing the new waivers Tuesday afternoon. “One way is disallowing taxpayer-funded benefits to purchase unhealthy items, like soda, candy and other junk food.”
Tuesday’s waivers bring the total number of states that have moved to ban junk food from their SNAP programs to six. Rollins indicated several other states, including Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Florida and Louisiana, are also working through procedural steps in hopes of getting waivers approved.
On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food-stamp…
