MT. PLEASANT, MI (MPRN)— Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow is pushing back against calls from Republicans to change the food and drink eligibilities for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as “SNAP,” in the upcoming 2023 Farm bill.
The latest push from some GOP lawmakers is to eliminate certain junk food like candy and salty processed snacks from the SNAP program. There have also been calls to restrict people from buying sugary soft drinks.
But Senator Stabenow—a Democrat and Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition Forestry—says she opposes any cuts of these foods and drinks to SNAP
“I understand what folks are saying, but restricting choices has never worked other than a bunch of bureaucracy and a lot of taxpayer money, a lot of debates about what's a soft drink?”
Stabenow says the government is better off creating incentives to promote healthy eating and enhancing SNAP education programs.
The latest Farm bill is expected to be finalized this fall.