Heated battle is brewing in Washington as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushes to ban soda purchases with food stamps, igniting backlash and political tension. But there’s one glaring issue—his agency doesn’t even control the program.
Kennedy, who serves as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, is championing a crackdown on sugary drinks under the Make America Healthy Again initiative. However, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid to 42 million low-income Americans, falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—not HHS. And USDA officials aren’t thrilled with Kennedy’s interference.
Behind the scenes, sources told Politico that Kennedy’s push has created a rift within the administration. His team has reportedly urged state officials to pressure the federal government into restricting soda purchases for SNAP recipients, despite the USDA’s authority over the program.
One USDA insider described the move as disruptive: “[HHS] is flying solo. It just doesn’t help to find a joint pathway forward.”
Even so, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins appears to support Kennedy’s stance. Speaking at a private White House meeting with MAGA influencers, she pointed to sugary drinks as the top item purchased with food stamps, arguing that taxpayers shouldn’t be funding products that contribute to obesity in disadvantaged communities.
Kennedy echoed that sentiment in a recent Fox News interview, warning that low-income neighborhoods are being “poisoned” by soda and that SNAP shouldn’t be subsidizing it.
Despite reports of internal conflict, both HHS and USDA publicly deny any friction over the proposed ban. USDA spokesperson Audra Weeks dismissed the rumors, calling them “inside-the-beltway nonsense.”
With growing political resistance and bureaucratic hurdles, RFK Jr.’s soda crackdown may face an uphill battle—but will it succeed?
