SNAP Healthy Food Choice Demonstration Waiver

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Testimony before
Minnesota House of Representatives
Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee

Good afternoon, Chairman West, Co-Chair Kotyza-Witthuhn, Vice Chairman Nelson, Co-Vice Chair Hanson and members of the Minnesota House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony.

My name is Matthew Schmid, and I serve as the Director of the Farmers First campaign at the America First Policy Institute. In my role, I advance policies that support America’s farmers and ranchers and promote health through increased consumption of American-grown and raised whole foods. Ensuring access to healthy food is also a goal that the American people support. The goal of accessible nutrition is furthered with the enactment of the federal Supplemental Nutrition for Americans Program (SNAP).

The stated goal of the SNAP program is to supplement grocery budgets so that low-income Americans can afford “the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.” Yet the list of items eligible for purchase under SNAP in Minnesota includes junk food and unhealthy beverages. For example, candy, sodas, and highly processed foods that, when over-consumed, are known to contribute to chronic health issues. Federal and state dollars are then spent on treating chronic health conditions.

Roughly 60% of voters are in favor of state action to ban purchases of unhealthy foods with SNAP benefits. This is because in reality, SNAP ends up being a taxpayer subsidy to the junk food and soda manufacturers. The reform discussed here would remove an insidious form of corporate welfare that undermines the health of our most vulnerable, forcing our teachers to manage overactive children often fueled by sugar, and which we then collectively pay for on the back end through our public healthcare spending.

This committee has a chance today to advance policies that will redirect our tax dollars toward the nutrition that SNAP intended and away from unhealthy corporate subsidies.

Thank you.