Federal judge blocks SNAP sugary beverage ban

A federal judge has blocked recent bans on using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for soda (Source: “Federal judge blocks bans on SNAP use for soda,” The Hill, June 22).
 
“Congress defined what ‘food’ is supposed to be, and it did not authorize the agency to amend or waive the definition it enacted. It did not authorize the agency to cut types of food out of SNAP entirely,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in a Monday filing, referencing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
 
According to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia filing, five states, including Iowa, Nebraska, West Virginia, Colorado and Tennessee, “submitted requests to the USDA to conduct pilot projects” between April and August 2025, attempting to “waive the federal definition of ‘food,’” removing certain items from that definition, including soft drinks and soda.
 
Represented by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, a nonprofit focused on advancing justice for low-income families, five SNAP recipients from those five states had sued the USDA for implementing its waiver restriction pilot projects.
 
The department has approved “food restriction” waivers ⁠in 23 states overall. The restrictions were endorsed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.