The Trump administration's Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, signaled Thursday she will be signing multiple waivers to let states ban junk food from food stamp programs, after signing a few this week, describing the effort as historic for any presidential administration. (Getty Images/iStock)
"That has never happened before under Republican or Democrat administrations," Rollins added. "We have never made that happen before. So I am so proud and so grateful."
On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, according to the MAHA report released at Thursday's event. It added that 1 in 5 American children under 17 receive SNAP benefits.
With Nebraska's waiver, it became the first state in the nation to bar recipients of federal food stamp programs from using the money to buy junk food, soda and other high-sugar items. The exemption will begin as a two-year pilot program, local media reported.
REPUBLICAN BILLS PUT TAXPAYER-FUNDED JUNK FOOD ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK
West Virginia, Nebraska and Texas have all requested waivers to rid junk food from food stamp programs. [FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: West Virginia Gov. Patric Morrisey (R); Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R); Texas Gov. Greg Abott] (GETTY IMAGES/FOX NEWS)
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West Virginia's Governor Patrick Morrisey, one of the leaders requesting a waiver, has also been spearheading other MAHA efforts in his state. In March, Morrisey signed House Bill 2354 into law, which made it the first state in the nation to begin prohibiting certain synthetic dyes and additives used in food items sold in the state.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/half-dozen-more-states-ban-soda-junk-food-purchases-food-stamps-trump-agriculture-secretary-says