Save SNAP from the Sour Taste of the Nanny State

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and 10 states are pushing to restrict the kinds of foods and drinks Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can purchase.  These proposals would have no direct fiscal effect, as total SNAP funding levels would remain unchanged, but they would limit personal choices and individual freedom and expand government control over food and beverages.

Bills like Rep. Keith Self’s (R-Texas) NO-FIZZ Act seek to ban recipients from purchasing soda, candy, ice cream, and other sugary treats using their SNAP benefits, arguing that these restrictions would improve public health and reduce obesity.  Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) recently introduced the Healthy SNAP Act, which would prohibit recipients from choosing soft drinks, candy, and other desserts.  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins have also endorsed nationwide bans on sugary foods for SNAP users.

On April 15, 2025, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed a bill excluding candy and soda from Idahoan SNAP users’ shopping bags.  South Carolina legislators introduced a bill requesting a waiver from the USDA to impose similar bans, and the West Virginia House considered its own proposal in the 2025 session.  Rather than helping needy families achieve their own health goals, bans limit consumer choice and risk stigmatizing beneficiaries.

Restricting needy families’ freedom of choice by adding red tape to the grocery store checkout line alienates and stigmatizes millions of working parents, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on SNAP and who deserve the same autonomy as anyone else when it comes to feeding their families.