According to the New York Post, Rollins confirmed the news on Friday and vowed to work alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Government Efficiency to ensure Americans will buy healthy food items with their benefits.

USDA chief says healthy food items should be purchased with SNAP benefits

“Truly, this program has grown so large, especially in the last administration. Under [President Joe] Biden, I think [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] grew almost 30% more than before. We really need to look at where that money is going, what it’s being spent on,” she told reporters in a statement obtained by the Post.

She continued, “I look forward to working with Bobby Kennedy as we figure out, ‘Do we have the healthiest choices?’ So when a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are we OK with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious?”

SNAP budget cuts could affect low-income families

According to the USDA, in fiscal year 2023, there was an average of 42.1 million SNAP recipients per month. The federal spending for the program was about $112.8 billion, and benefits averaged $211.93 per participant per month.

Republicans have vowed to streamline SNAP, cuts that could potentially affect low-income families who rely on the benefits to feed themselves or their families. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities stated that Trump touted these changes during his first term along with several conservatives who outlined a budget plan for the federal government program in Project 2025.

‘Don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it’

Marginalized groups who could be affected by this include those “living in areas with insufficient jobs, older adults up to age 65, parents of school-age children, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth who have aged out of foster care,” according to the organization.

In January, Blavity reported that the Trump administration sought to change SNAP, which could affect millions of recipients. Rollins’ goal to prioritize healthy food items under the program is similar to the Healthy SNAP Act bill Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen introduced to ensure recipients only buy healthy foods with their benefits.

“If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that’s up to them. But what we’re saying is, don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences,” Brecheen said, according to AL.com. “Americans know this is common sense.”