President Donald Trump's administration is focused on making America healthy again, and part of that agenda includes prohibiting the use of taxpayer-funded food stamp benefits, more formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to purchase certain junk foods.
On Tuesday, Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had approved a waiver that allowed the state to exclude soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy from the list of foods eligible for SNAP purchases, while adding rotisserie chicken, according to Breitbart.
Louisiana now joins eleven other mostly Republican-led states that have applied for and received such SNAP waivers from the Trump administration to further the broader goal, first introduced during the 2024 campaign season by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to Make Americans Healthy Again.
In a video posted to X on Tuesday, Gov. Landry said, "Good morning, Louisiana. Guess what was in the mail? Got a great postcard from the wonderful Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, my great friend, and this is our SNAP waiver."
He thanked President Trump and Sec. Rollins "for helping make Louisiana healthy again," and noted that "SNAP beneficiaries are more likely to have higher rates of obesity. That creates a greater risk for chronic diseases."
"We want to make Louisianans healthy, so you will no longer be able to buy sugary candy, energy drinks, or soft drinks -- no more soda pop -- on food stamps," the governor continued. "But guess what? We're adding rotisserie chicken."
"We want all of Louisiana to be healthy, and our welfare programs are supposed to be a hand up, not a candy out," Landry added, as he once again thanked the president and secretary for approving the state's requested waiver.
The waiver approval letter from Sec. Rollins, dated August 4, explained that the waiver to exclude certain junk foods from SNAP eligibility in Louisiana would take effect in January 2026 and be good for two years, while also noting that it was a "novel design" that would be monitored and evaluated as a possible model to be implemented nationwide.
An attached summary of the waiver also provided definitions of what constituted and was exempted from the terms "soft drinks," "energy drinks," and "candy," along with other terms and conditions of the agreement.
At the time that letter was signed, HHS Sec. Kennedy issued a press release to celebrate the approval of SNAP eligibility waivers to exclude certain junk foods for not just Louisiana, but also Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, which joined six other states that had received similar approvals earlier in the year, including Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah.
In that August press release, Sec. Kennedy said, "For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy -- products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics."
"These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health," he added. "I thank these governors who have stepped up to request waivers, and I encourage others to follow their lead. This is how we Make America Healthy Again."
Sec. Rollins said at that time, "It is incredible to see so many states take action at this critical moment in our nation’s history and do something to begin to address chronic health problems."
"President Trump has changed the status quo, and the entire cabinet is taking action to Make America Healthy Again," she added. "At USDA, we play a key role in supporting Americans who fall on hard times, and that commitment does not change. Rather, these state waivers promote healthier options for families in need."
