Republican Texas Rep. Brandon Gill pressed a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) advocate Thursday on why taxpayers should pay for sugary drinks.
The House Oversight subcommittee examined waste, fraud and abuse in SNAP, a roughly $100 billion program that provides food for more than 40 million Americans. Gina Plata-Nino, director of policy and advocacy for the Food Research and Action Center, could not provide a straight answer on why tax dollars should cover SNAP recipients’ sugary drinks.
“You think they need Coca Cola to survive?” Gill asked. “You think that’s the most appropriate use of our tax dollars? … Do the American people need Coca-Cola to survive? You think there’s some Americans who need Coca Cola to survive? Is that your testimony? … I think most people can rationally say that you don’t need Coca Cola to survive, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I agree that we have a hunger crisis and that we need to address it by ensuring that people have the food resources that we need,” Plato-Nino said.
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Gill pressed Plato-Nino to explain what is nutritional about Coca Cola.
“I am not a nutritionist, I am a food security expert in ensuring that individuals have the food resources that they need,” Plato-Nino said.
“This is a common sense question,” Gill replied. “All of these have been common sense questions. I’m just asking you if there’s nutritional value to sugary sodas.”
“I am not an expert,” Plato-Nino said.
Coca-Cola contains 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 39 grams of added sugars and 0 grams of protein. Its formula includes high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid and caffeine.
An Obama-appointed judge ruled Monday that SNAP recipients could use their benefits to buy unhealthy foods. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins approved waivers in 23 states, allowing them to prohibit SNAP participants from using their benefits to purchase items such as candy and soda, Reuters reported.
“USDA is empowering states with greater flexibility to manage their programs by approving SNAP Food Restriction Waivers that restrict the purchase of non-nutritious items like soda and candy,” USDA’s statement said. “These waivers are a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP.”
U.S. states reported having to replace over $320 million in stolen SNAP benefits from October 2022 to December 2024, according to a December 2025 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
A Maryland resident was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison “for masterminding” a SNAP benefits “fraud scam” and other related crimes, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
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