Federal Judge Blocks USDA SNAP Soda and Candy Restrictions in State Waiver Fight
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to let states ban SNAP recipients from using food benefits to buy soda, candy and other sugary drinks.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture exceeded its authority when it approved state waivers restricting what recipients could purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The case was brought by SNAP recipients from Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The ruling reaches beyond a narrow grocery-store dispute. USDA had approved food-restriction waivers in 23 states, part of a broader Make America Healthy Again policy push backed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Jackson’s decision focused on legal authority, not on whether the restrictions were good health policy. According to AP, the judge said the government did not follow its own definition of “food” and emphasized that the ruling was not a judgment on the wisdom of limiting soda or candy purchases.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →
The plain-English consequence is this: USDA cannot use state waivers to rewrite SNAP purchase rules if Congress has not given the agency that power. That leaves states seeking restrictions with fewer options unless the administration wins on appeal or Congress changes the law.
The administration defended the policy. Reuters reported that a USDA spokesperson said taxpayer funds should not be used to buy junk food and that the agency would continue pursuing its Make America Healthy Again agenda. Plaintiffs argued the restrictions would undermine access to food, including for people managing health conditions.
AP reported that the administration had not said whether it would appeal.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →