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USDA Secretary warns of chronic disease crisis emanating from FOOD STAMPS, calls for junk food CRACKDOWN, prioritizing NUTRITIOUS OPTIONS

By ljdevon // 2025-05-06

• USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins warns that poor nutrition in federal food programs is driving a chronic disease crisis that could "bankrupt" America.
• SNAP benefits currently allow purchases of junk food, sugary drinks, and processed snacks, worsening obesity and diabetes among low-income families.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Rollins push for reforms to remove artificial dyes, restrict unhealthy foods from SNAP, and realign food subsidies with health priorities.
• Republican lawmakers introduce bills to ban junk food from SNAP, arguing taxpayers shouldn’t fund products that lead to costly health problems.
• Critics claim restrictions ignore food deserts, affordability issues, and government subsidies that make unhealthy foods cheaper than nutritious options.

The U.S. government is spending $370 million every day on nutrition programs that are poisoning low-income families with processed junk food, sugary drinks, and chemical-laden snacks—all while fueling an epidemic of diabetes, obesity, and chronic disease that threatens to collapse the nation’s healthcare system. That’s the dire warning from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who revealed the staggering cost of federal food programs in a recent interview, declaring that taxpayer-funded malnutrition is setting up America for economic disaster. "We spend $370 million a day on nutrition programs," Rollins told the All-In podcast. "That’s just USDA. That is a stunning number. We’ve got to do better." The crisis is most visible in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which currently allows recipients to purchase candy, soda, chips, and other ultra-processed foods linked to chronic illness. Meanwhile, 74% of American adolescents fail military readiness tests due to poor health—a statistic Rollins calls a "massive challenge facing America."

The junk food subsidy scandal

For decades, the federal government has subsidized corporate food giants by allowing SNAP dollars to flow toward products that addict and sicken the poor. "Taxpayers fund junk food and sugary drinks at the front end, leading to diabetes and other issues, while the back-end costs of treating chronic diseases are bankrupting states through Medicaid," Rollins said. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of industrial food corruption, is now working with Rollins to overhaul SNAP. "The one place that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches," Kennedy told Fox News. "There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn't be subsidizing people to eat poison." Kennedy recently announced plans to ban eight artificial food dyes by 2026, targeting petroleum-based additives like Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5.

Republican push to restrict junk food purchases

Lawmakers are now introducing bills to strip SNAP benefits from junk food, arguing that taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for products that worsen public health.

• Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) introduced the Healthy SNAP Act, banning soda, candy, and desserts from SNAP purchases.
• Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) proposed blocking sugary carbonated drinks.
• Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders demanded federal action, calling SNAP junk food purchases a driver of "obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension."

"If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that's up to them," Brecheen said. "But don't ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences." Critics argue that banning junk food without addressing food deserts and price disparities will only punish the poor. "Soda and candy are much cheaper and more calorie-dense than 100% fruit juices," said Valerie Imbruce of Washington College, blaming federal sugar subsidies for distorting the market. But Kennedy and Rollins insist the real issue is corporate control of the food supply. "We have them on the run now, and we are going to win this battle," Kennedy declared. "Four years from now, we're going to have most of these [toxic] products off the market." For years, the government has paid corporations to addict the poor to poison, then billed taxpayers again for the medical fallout. Now, with chronic diseases threatening to collapse the economy, will Washington finally cut off the junk food pipeline—or continue feeding the very crisis it claims to fight? As Kennedy put it: "We shouldn't be subsidizing people to eat poison." Sources include: Zerohedge.com X.com Newsweek.com

junk food obesity USDA SNAP Public Health food security health crisis Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chronic diseases food access fiscal responsibility Brooke Rollins SNAP reform USDA spending afordability