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- By Native News Online Staff
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today approved the first-ever waiver to redefine eligible food items under Nebraska’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Starting January 1, 2026, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to buy soda or energy drinks in the state, ending taxpayer subsidies for those products.
“Today’s waiver to remove soda and energy drinks from SNAP is the first of its kind, and it is a historic step to Make America Healthy Again. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have encouraged states to serve as the ‘laboratories of innovation.’ Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia, and Colorado are pioneers in improving the health of our nation,” Secretary Rollins said.
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“There’s absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks. SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver. I’m grateful to have worked with Secretary Rollins and the Trump Administration to get this effort across the finish line. It is a tremendous step toward improving the health and well-being of our state. We have to act because we can’t keep letting Nebraskans starve in the midst of plenty,” said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (R).
Before this waiver, SNAP recipients in Nebraska could use their benefits to purchase nearly any grocery item, excluding alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods, and personal care products. This landmark decision now adds soda and energy drinks to the list of excluded items.
Part of the "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, this move aims to combat growing public health concerns. Today, one in three children ages 12 to 19 has prediabetes, 40% of school-aged children suffer from at least one chronic condition, and 15% of high school students consume one or more sodas daily.
Following President Trump’s directive, the USDA is taking steps to better align federal programs with healthy living goals. On her first full day in office, Secretary Rollins sent a letter to all U.S. governors outlining her priorities and inviting them to join a new “Laboratories of Innovation” initiative focused on bold, state-led health solutions. Secretary Rollins and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also co-authored a USA Today op-ed detailing their strategy to Make America Healthy Again, including through SNAP reforms like Nebraska’s new waiver.
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