Judge Scraps SNAP Junk Food Rules, Jeopardizing MAHA Policy

The USDA had approved "food restriction" waivers in 23 states allowing them to restrict SNAP participants from using their benefits to buy products such as soda and candy. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have endorsed the waivers as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement.

SNAP provides monthly benefits to 42 million low-income Americans and is administered by the USDA in partnership with state governments. Jackson stated that while the federal defendants and states may have a desire to improve the health of SNAP households, they cannot violate the law and their own regulations. The USDA defended the policy and signaled it would continue pursuing restrictions.

The plaintiffs, residing in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia, argued in their lawsuit that they or family members rely on the restricted foods to manage health conditions such as diabetes and allergies, or to obtain energy boosts needed for daily life. They asked the court to block the restrictions in their respective states. Katharine Deabler-Meadows, an attorney for the plaintiffs, called the ruling a major step in restoring essential food assistance.