(SRN NEWS/REUTERS) – Food stamp recipients have sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to undo Trump administration efforts to prevent them from using benefits to buy products such as sugary drinks, energy drinks and candy.
In a complaint filed in the Washington, D.C. federal court, five plaintiffs said the restrictions “destabilize food access” for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the 22 U.S. states where the department has approved so-called “food restriction” waivers.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have endorsed the waivers as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.
The plaintiffs – who live in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia – said they or family members rely on the restricted foods to manage health conditions such as diabetes and allergies, or to obtain energy boosts needed to conduct their daily lives.
They said the waivers cause confusion at the checkout line, and cause irreparable harm by forcing them to choose between spending cash on restricted items, or forgoing spending on basics such as rent and transportation.