Healthcare
|
Health Care
|
|
|
|
Court halts MAHA's SNAP junk food fight |
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to approve state efforts to ban purchases of soda, candy and other junk foods with federal food assistance benefits in a handful of states.
|
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Monday deals a significant blow to the Make America Healthy Again movement and makes it much more difficult for the Trump administration to try to force healthy eating habits.
“Congress defined what ‘food’ is supposed to be, and it did not authorize the agency to amend or waive the definition it enacted. It did not authorize the agency to cut types of food out of SNAP entirely,” Jackson wrote in the filing.
“The federal defendants and the states may have a genuine desire to improve the health of SNAP households by encouraging healthy choices at the store,” Jackson wrote. “But what they cannot do is violate the law and their own regulations along the way.”
The ruling only applies to the bans in five states: Iowa, Nebraska, West Virginia, Colorado and Tennessee.
But the legal fight could be a roadmap for challenges in other states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted waivers to 23 states to let them ban unhealthy foods.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on social media vowed “keep fighting to Make America Healthy Again.” But it's not clear if the agency will appeal, or look for other avenues to prohibit people from buying sugary foods.
SNAP dollars can be used to buy any food or beverage from a grocery store except alcohol, nutritional supplements or hot food, but there's nothing in the statute that mentions sugar.
The idea of policing the shopping carts of low-income Americans has never sat well with anti-hunger advocates, who argue it’s paternalistic and stigmatizing for low-income Americans.
Additionally, while federal data show sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet, nutrition experts have said there is limited evidence that shows SNAP soda bans lead to better health outcomes.
|
Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
|
|
|
|
The Hill Insider is coming
|
A new all-access digital subscription from The Hill — launching July 2026. Join the waitlist to be among the first inside
|
|
|
|
How policy will be impacting the healthcare sector this week and beyond:
|
|
|
|
A federal judge on Monday blocked bans, by the Trump administration and several states, on the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy soda, candy and other foods consider unhealthy. Late last year, a push by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urged states to strip some foods from the $100 billion federal program. The move came in tandem with Kennedy’s …
|
|
|
|
|
The Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled on Tuesday charges against more than 450 defendants for alleged health care fraud totaling over $6.5 billion in false claims, as part of the Trump administration’s heightened focus on stopping fraud. It was the second largest amount ever charged in a health care fraud operation, officials said. Charges were brought against 90 medical professionals for a range of alleged …
|
|
|
|
|
(NewsNation) — GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are a hot health topic. Now, critics are debating whether the medications should be banned in sports for potentially being performance-enhancing drugs. The debate comes after 23-time Grand Slam-winning superstar Serena Williams officially came back to tennis after stepping away from the game for four years. During that time, she admitted to using a GLP-1 medication to get back in shape, …
|
|
|
|
|
An Earlier Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Can Change What Comes Next |
Kerry built a career in financial services. When familiar tasks started slipping, she trusted her instincts and got tested. An early Alzheimer’s diagnosis changed what came next for Kerry. Learn more
|
|
|
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
|
Extreme heat expected again at the Grand Canyon after 3 hikers die in heat-related incidents
|
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park are being warned about extreme heat that will plague the popular destination early next week after a recent increase in heat-related incidents in the inner canyon, including the deaths of three hikers. The U.S. National Weather Service issued an extreme heat …
|
|
|
|
Local and state headlines on healthcare:
|
- Austin-area hospitals denied miscarriage care despite clarification to Texas’ abortion ban, federal complaint alleges (Texas Tribune)
- Florida extends crackdown with new rules on 7-OH, other kratom-related products (WUSF)
|
|
|
|
Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
|
- Cottage cheese is in, chips are out — and Ozempic is just one reason (Washington Post)
- Eli Lilly gave extraordinary obesity drug access to a 79-year-old patient. Who was it? (Stat)
- Medicare’s AI push snarls patients and doctors in errors and delays (KFF Health News)
|
|
|
|
Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:
|
|
|
|
|
You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
|
400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001
|
Copyright © 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment