The Blubber

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s collaborating with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to implement a ban on using food stamps to buy candy and soda.

Kennedy addressed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a Cabinet meeting with President Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

“Thirty-eight percent of our children are either diabetic or prediabetic, and we’re footing the bill on both ends,” he told the president. “We’re covering the cost of the food — or ‘food-like substances’ — that’s contributing to diabetes, and then we’re spending a trillion dollars on metabolic disease research. It’s a crisis we can’t sustain.”

Although SNAP falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture rather than HHS, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has floated a proposal for a “Make America Healthy Again” commission to review the potential ban. Rollins has also expressed support.

Kennedy led the MAHA campaign before taking over as HHS Secretary, and his presence in Trump’s Cabinet has brought renewed momentum to the effort to bar sugary snacks and beverages from SNAP eligibility.

This initiative contrasts with the stance taken during Trump’s first term, when his administration rejected a 2018 proposal from Maine that sought similar food stamp restrictions.

At least 15 states — including Kansas, Idaho, Tennessee, Arizona, and Utah — have introduced bills urging the federal government to allow bans on candy and sugary drinks under SNAP, pointing to public health concerns and the need for improved nutrition.

While the proposed changes aim to steer SNAP recipients toward healthier choices, antihunger advocates argue the policy overlooks deeper systemic issues and could place added pressure on the program.