A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from allowing five states to restrict the use of food stamps for purchasing sugary drinks and certain candy products, according to a CNN report.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture lacked the legal authority to approve waiver requests submitted by Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The lawsuit was brought by five SNAP recipients who argued that some restricted products were necessary for managing health conditions and maintaining energy levels.
According to the report, the judge emphasized that her ruling was not a judgment on the merits of the policy itself, but on whether federal agencies followed the law.
The decision marks a setback for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which seeks to reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods. The report said the court found USDA's pilot-project authority focuses on program efficiency, not dietary reform.
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A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Monday blocked the Trump administration from preventing food stamp recipients in five states from using their benefits to buy sugary foods and drinks. https://t.co/lFsvhs28st
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) June 23, 2026
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