SouthernWorldwide.com – A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has halted the Trump administration’s initiative to prevent recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from purchasing sugary items with their benefits.
The ruling on Monday represents a significant setback for the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, which had identified SNAP reform as a key strategy in combating obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson determined that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) cannot alter or disregard Congress’s established definition of “food.” Jackson, who has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2011, was appointed by President Obama.
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Judge Jackson’s written opinion stated that Congress had clearly outlined the types of pilot programs that could be tested to address serious health issues linked to rising obesity rates. However, she emphasized that Congress did not grant the Secretary the authority to bypass these directives under the guise of “efficiency” or administrative improvements.
The legal challenge was brought forth by SNAP recipients from Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In these states, the USDA had previously approved waivers allowing restrictions on the purchase of certain items, including candy, soft drinks, and energy drinks. The plaintiffs were represented by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice and Shinder Cantor Lerner.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins expressed strong disapproval of the ruling on X, formerly Twitter. She criticized the decision as an “activist judge” blocking a “commonsense restriction” on using SNAP benefits for soda and junk food. Rollins reiterated that SNAP is intended for food, not for items contributing to obesity and diabetes, which in turn increase healthcare costs for low-income families.
She further stated that taxpayers should not be subsidizing unhealthy food and beverages at the expense of public health.
Both Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary Rollins had actively promoted SNAP reform. They engaged with state governors and traveled to various states to encourage healthier food choices among Americans by discouraging the purchase of “junk food.”
The USDA had previously approved SNAP food restriction waivers in more than 20 states.
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This situation mirrors a past effort by Michael Bloomberg when he was the mayor of New York City. In 2011, Bloomberg sought approval from the Obama administration’s USDA to prohibit SNAP recipients in the city from using their benefits to purchase sugary drinks. At the time, the USDA denied the request, citing a lack of clear evidence that the proposed restriction would genuinely improve health outcomes.
