RFK Takes on 'Big Soda'

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump, the Trump campaign added an initiative to Make America Healthy Again (or “MAHA”) with Kennedy at the helm. It’s something that this country sorely needs since we’re so beholden to processed foods and quick meal options that sacrifice nutrition for convenience.

Kennedy is making good on his plans before the Senate has even tried to confirm him as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). He wants to ban sodas and other sugary drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — what we used to call food stamps — and the beverage industry is lining up to try to stop him.

“Lobbyists for Coke and its biggest rivals are pressing their case on Capitol Hill, highlighting the fact that the soda companies are selling more zero-sugar drinks,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “These, combined with clear calorie labels on beverages, allow consumers to make healthier choices, they say.”

“Soda lobbyists also point to anti-hunger advocacy groups such as Share Our Strength, which argues that instead of restricting SNAP recipients’ options, Congress should fund programs that help low-income families access healthier foods,” the report continues. “Coke and PepsiCo are corporate sponsors for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.”

The biggest hurdle for Kennedy comes in the fact that HHS doesn’t oversee SNAP; the Department of Agriculture does. Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins hasn’t indicated the extent to which she’s on board with Kennedy’s priorities, either.

“Kennedy, meanwhile, has big plans for the agriculture sector that could put him at odds with farmers and companies,” the WSJ reports. “Rollins will need to decide whether to embrace those proposals or chart a more moderate path forward at the agency.”

We have yet to see how the two departments will work together under the Trump-Vance administration, and, of course, so much depends on whether the Senate will confirm Kennedy and Rollins. But the beverage industry is already trying to sweeten things for Team Trump.

“The American Beverage Association, an industry group that represents Coke, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper, plans to donate money to Trump’s inauguration, as it has for past presidents, said Kevin Keane, chief executive of the group,” the WSJ points out.

There’s another solution that could help Kennedy fulfill this mission, and it involves the legislative branch.

“Congress would have to pass legislation to require the removal of sugar-sweetened beverages from SNAP,” reports International Business Times. “That could take years to happen.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) have introduced separate bills into both houses of Congress; these measures would take sugary foods and drinks out of SNAP benefits. Given the glacial nature of Congress, however, these bills might not see the light of day for a while.

There’s another reason why sugary soft drinks shouldn’t be part of SNAP benefits. Food stamps are for people in need to get the items they need to survive, and our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be going to allow beneficiaries to swig Mountain Dew or Sprite. Then again, the beverage lobby is powerful and determined, so it’ll try to thwart RFK at every turn.

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