Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has become President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of Health and Human Services. His slogan is “Make America Healthy Again.” His plans have caused a stir among other health officials. His latest idea? Ban the use of food stamps to buy sugary treats.
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps low-income families afford food. Some people rely on SNAP “food stamps” for basic needs. The $113 billion program serves about 42 million Americans.
Kennedy says those Americans shouldn’t use government money to buy “soda or processed foods.” The current rule allows food stamps to help purchase “any food or food product intended for human consumption,” except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods.
“The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches,” Kennedy told Fox News. “There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn't be subsidizing people to eat poison.”
Brooke Rollins, the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, agrees with Kennedy.
“When [taxpayers put] money into SNAP, are they OK with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious?” she asks.
This sort of change isn’t as simple as it sounds. Kennedy leads the HHS, or the Department of Health and Human Services. But his department doesn’t control SNAP. That duty belongs to the USDA—the United States Department of Agriculture. Individual states oversee the program.
Previous Agriculture Department officials rejected similar suggestions. They say there’s no clear standard for calling some foods “good” and some foods “bad.” Restrictions would be complicated and costly.
On top of that, Congress itself must change the law to ban foods from SNAP. Lawmakers from several states have attempted such changes before. They’ve tried banning bottled water, soda, chips, ice cream, decorated cakes, and even steak from SNAP. Every attempt failed.
Will a push from the Trump Administration finally make it happen? And is it even a good idea in the first place?
To some people, it’s a question of money and responsibility. Taxpayers fund food stamp programs. If recipients spend stamps on unhealthy junk, doesn’t that money go to waste?
To others, it’s a question of human dignity. Should low-income families lose the freedom to determine their diets? It’s one thing for the government to make healthy recommendations. But can it force families to follow them?
Pray for wisdom for lawmakers looking for ways to encourage healthy living.
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31
