Michigan lawmakers want to stop people from using SNAP benefits to buy pop

• Michigan lawmaker Brad Paquette, R-Niles, introduced a bill to ban soda from being purchased using SNAP benefits
• The proposal is part of a broader push to limit sugary items in federal assistance programs
• Critics warn the policy could increase administrative costs and stigmatize low-income families

Is it “pop” or “soda”? No matter what you call it, there is a growing concern about whether people should be allowed to use SNAP benefits to purchase the fizzy drink.

State Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles, recently introduced a bill to add soda to the list of foods households cannot use SNAP benefits to buy. The state would have to request a waiver from the US Department of Agriculture. 

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides low-income individuals and families with a monthly stipend to buy groceries.

“The ‘N’ stands for nutrition,” Paquette said. “When you talk about … taxpayer dollars being spent in this fashion, we want to make sure that those taxpayer dollars go to fund nutritious drinks.” 

SNAP benefits can be used to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, dairy products, bread, cereals, snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages. 

The USDA also has a list of things ineligible for purchasing using SNAP benefits, including: 

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
• Vitamins, medicines and supplements.
• Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
• Foods that are hot at the point of sale
• Pet foods
• Cleaning supplies, paper products and other household supplies
• Hygiene items and cosmetics

“When you think about pop and soda, how it's actually the opposite of nutrition … they contribute to the decay of our bones, as we've been told throughout the years and the taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing this,” he said. 

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The bill also states that if the waiver is not granted, then Michigan will apply for it each year until it is, but Paquette said he is confident that the USDA will approve the waiver. 

“We're already seeing it happening in other states with the waivers being accepted.” He added that US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to make this initiative a pillar for the “Make America Healthy Again” movement he started. 

“We will encourage taxpayer dollars to go toward wholesome foods, such as whole milk, fruits, vegetables and meats,” Kennedy and USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins wrote in an opinion piece earlier this month.

“For this reason, we call on all governors to submit waivers to help promote access to these critical sources of nutrition, including waivers that can limit what can be purchased with food stamps, get healthy foods to rural communities and prioritize nutritional standards in school meals.”

Michigan isn’t the first 

Paquette’s bill mirrors similar initiatives in Indiana, Idaho and Arkansas to include soda and candy on the list of items ineligible for purchase using SNAP benefits. 

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also wants to add hot rotisserie chicken to the list of items that can be bought with SNAP benefits. 

“Governor Sanders is confronting childhood disease head-on, and it starts with what families consume,” Rollins said in a news release. “I encourage more states across the nation to follow the bold lead of states like Arkansas as we Make America Healthy Again.” 

State agencies are allowed to request waivers for the SNAP program through SNAP’s web-based Waiver Information Management System. The Food and Nutrition Service will respond to these waivers in the waiver information system and include approval letters with specific alternative procedures for implementing approved waivers, according to the USDA website. 

Over the past two decades, lawmakers in several states and from both political parties have proposed halting SNAP payments for soda, chips, ice cream and “luxury meats” like steak, as well as bottled water and decorated birthday cakes. Since 2004, there have been six previous requests for waivers, including four that were not approved, one that was withdrawn and one request that was incomplete.

In rejecting the waivers, the USDA has said there was no clear standard to define certain foods as unhealthy and that restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated, costly and might not change participants’ food purchases or improve health.

At what cost? 

The SNAP program primarily benefits families with children, older adults and people with disabilities who may be food insecure. 

According to Feeding America roughly 14% of the state’s population is food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. 

Paquette's proposal and others like it have drawn criticism about their practical and social implications.

“There aren't major differences in dietary habits and purchases among people who receive SNAP and people who don't,” said Alyssa Beavers, associate professor of nutrition and food science at Wayne State University. “One stereotype is that people on SNAP buy more sweetened beverages than those who are not on SNAP.  We just don't really have any evidence to show this.” 

Beavers acknowledge that the intent of the bill may be good but it also may have unintended consequences. 

“One of the big concerns now is that there are discussions about shifting some of the costs to the states, so they may already have to put in more resources,” she said. “Retailers are going to have to go into their system … and put which items should be purchased with SNAP.” 

Antihunger groups say research shows that program participants are no more likely than other low-income Americans to buy sugary drinks or snack foods. And they say that limiting food choices undermines the autonomy and dignity of people who receive an average benefit of about $187 per month — or about $6.20 per day.

“They just seem to be targeting a specific population without having data that says that they are the issue or that this is going to improve,” said Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Trade groups representing beverage and candy makers have also criticized efforts that target SNAP participants.

Representatives for American Beverage accused state and federal officials of “choosing to be the food police rather than take truly meaningful steps to lift people off SNAP with good-paying jobs.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report