Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins touted the Trump administration signing three more states to food choice waivers Tuesday, telling Newsmax it's another positive step toward battling the nation's chronic disease crisis.
The waiver expands the list of unhealthy food and drinks — sugary drinks like soda, for example — that will be excluded as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP].
"You know, America, even though we are the wealthiest nation ... we're also the sickest nation of all the developed countries. And that's a real problem," Rollins said on "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "Seventy-five percent of our teenagers are not military fit, meaning mentally, physically, or whatever it may be. The chronic disease crisis is overrunning our population. I mean, it is one scary statistic after another, Rob.
"So the president made a promise to be part of the Make America Healthy Again movement, to lead it. My partner in that, of course, is Bobby Kennedy [Jr.], Secretary Kennedy. We continue on the momentous drive on that. And today we signed three more SNAP waivers. We signed Arkansas, Idaho, Utah," she added.
It brings the list to six, joining Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska.
"It's unprecedented. But what's really surprising to me, Rob, is, why is this unprecedented? Why does everyone think this is such a big deal? Taxpayers should never be paying for food that's not nutritious as part of the Supplemental Nutrition [Assistance] Program," Rollins said.
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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