Food stamp recipients could be prevented from purchasing soft drinks, candy, ice cream and more under a new House bill.
Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Oklahoma, introduced the Healthy SNAP Act last week. The bill would exclude junk food and prepared desserts from benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the official name for food stamps. The bill would also require any SNAP-eligible foods “promote the health of SNAP recipients and reflect nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns.”
“If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that’s up to them. But what we’re saying is, don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences,” Brecheen said. “Americans know this is common sense.”
Under current regulations, food stamps can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereal, snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages. You can’t use the benefits to buy alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, pet food or ready-made hot foods. The proposed bill would exclude soft drinks, ice cream, prepared desserts such as cakes, pies and cookies and other similar products, Fox News reported.