Kennedy Calls Out Soda Handouts As Conservative Figures Parrot Lobbyist Lines

As states begin to rethink what taxpayer-funded nutrition programs should actually fund, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is backing efforts to remove soda from the list of eligible purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

West Virginia’s Gov. Patrick Morrisey is the first to request a waiver from the federal government to block SNAP recipients from using their benefits on soda. Kennedy praised the move and said governors who do the same will be invited to celebrate the decision at the White House.

Despite the policy’s popularity among Americans tired of funding junk food, a curious wave of conservative influencers took to social media last week to defend the use of food stamps for soda. Their nearly identical messages sounded more like industry copy than genuine grassroots concern.

Supporters of the waiver say this has nothing to do with limiting freedom. Instead, it’s about ensuring government benefits cover real food and not heavily marketed sugar water. Kennedy has framed the issue as one of common sense — people can drink what they want, but the government shouldn’t pay for it.

The American Beverage Association and other industry voices have complained that soda is being unfairly targeted. Yet many Americans are left wondering why the government ever started subsidizing it in the first place.

Calley Means, an adviser to Kennedy, said 15 governors are now exploring similar action. He emphasized that this policy change doesn’t prevent anyone from drinking soda, it just ends the forced taxpayer contribution.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will make the final decision on West Virginia’s waiver. She said the department will provide technical assistance and fast-track approval for any state that follows suit.

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