Latest news with #SarahHuckabeeSanders
The Hill
a day ago
- Health
- The Hill
Which states are looking to ban soda, snack purchases for SNAP recipients?
(NEXSTAR) – On May 19, Nebraska became the first state in the country to obtain a waiver from the USDA to ban residents from purchasing sugary drinks with benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). By the end of the week, the USDA had granted similar exemptions for Iowa and Indiana. Not all waivers were seeking the same restrictions, however. Nebraska's waiver will effectively prohibit the purchases of soda and energy drinks with SNAP benefits. Iowa's will ban nearly all 'taxable' food items, as defined by Iowa law. And in Illinois, SNAP recipients won't be able to buy soda or candy under the new restrictions. The benefits or consequences of such restrictions have yet to be seen, as they won't go into effect until Jan. 1, 2026. But governors in a handful of other states have already submitted requests for their own SNAP waivers, with the intention of restricting certain foods or drinks — or, in a few cases, easing restrictions — within their own food-assistance programs. In April, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) submitted a waiver seeking permission to exclude 'soft drinks and candy' from permitted SNAP purchases. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also filed for waivers in May, requesting exemptions to ban 'soft drinks and candy' and 'sweetened drinks and candy,' respectively. And making its way through the Utah state legislature is a bill seeking to restrict soft drink purchases under SNAP. West Virginia Gov. Patrick West Morrisey, meanwhile, has submitted a waiver to request that soda is 'no longer an entitlement' to those receiving assistance. But he also indicated that he was asking to expand access to hot foods — which are generally not permitted to be purchased with SNAP benefits. Joining him in these efforts is Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), whose waiver seeks to make sweetened beverages unavailable for purchase with food stamps, but 'permit SNAP participants to buy a full range of hot prepared foods from grocery stores, including rotisserie chickens,' a representative for the Colorado Department of Human Services confirmed to Nexstar. It's likely that many of these requests will ultimately be approved (in their current form or otherwise) by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, who approved Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana's requests. Rollins, like many of the Republican governors who supported the idea of these waivers, credited President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (and his 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative) with her decisions. 'President Trump has given our nation a once in a generation opportunity to change the health trajectory for our entire country,' Rollins, who was sworn in this past February, was quoted as saying in a press release last Friday. 'I look forward to signing even more waivers in the days ahead as we continue to restore the health of America,' she said. In her statement, Rollins had also included Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) among a list of governors who 'stepped up' to request a waiver. But Kelly, who was initially supportive of a waiver, has since retracted her support for any state-mandated restrictions to SNAP purchases. Kelly ultimately vetoed a bill approving a waiver request, claiming the SNAP restrictions would hurt businesses. She also said the definition of allowable foods was 'nonsensical,' as it allegedly allowed the purchases of candy bars but not protein bars or trail mix. 'I support the idea that Kansans should eat healthier. However, changes to the SNAP food assistance program should be made at the federal level, not on a patchwork, state-by-state basis,' Kelly said. Anti-hunger advocates have criticized the waivers, too, saying they add costs, boost administrative burdens, and increase stigma for people already facing food insecurity. Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the nonprofit advocacy group Food Research & Action Center, had argued that Nebraska's waiver 'ignores decades of evidence showing that incentive-based approaches — not punitive restrictions — are the most effective, dignified path to improving nutrition and reducing hunger.' Until this month, the USDA had also rejected the waivers, saying there were no clear standards to define certain foods as good or bad. In addition, the agency had said restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated and costly, and would not necessarily change recipients' food purchases or reduce health problems such as obesity. Under Rollins, though, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) now appears much more willing to approve — and even refine — the waivers. 'FNS continues to collaborate extensively with each state on their proposals, which includes holding near daily technical assistance calls with each submitting state,' a spokesperson for the USDA told Nexstar. 'There is no perfect timeline as each State is approaching this differently.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In Iowa, Trump's agenda collides with 2028 ambitions
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, at fundraisers in Iowa this week, sought to explain to the Republicans who are poised to have the first say in picking the party's 2028 presidential nominee why they want to put the brakes on the 'big, beautiful' bill that contains much of President Donald Trump's agenda. But Sue Cheek, a resident of Eldridge nearby, didn't want to hear it. 'We are the ones that elected Trump. This is what we wanted him to do. So let him do it,' she told CNN minutes before Scott took the stage at a fundraiser Friday night at a casino in Davenport. 'We are in a critical place right now in our country,' said Cheek, who works at a credit union. 'I don't care how much it costs to make our country secure. Once we get that done, then we can worry about that other stuff.' Trump is only months into his second term in office, but already, ambitious Republicans are flocking to the state whose caucuses are expected to kick off the party's 2028 presidential nominating contest. Paul spoke at a GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, and Scott followed with a fundraiser in Davenport on Friday. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the conservative Christian group The Family Leader's summit in July. Days later, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit Des Moines to headline the state party's Lincoln Dinner. The two senators arrived in Iowa while the fate of Trump's legislative agenda rested in the Senate. Conservatives like Paul and Scott are demanding changes — with Paul seeking to remove a debt ceiling increase and both seeking much steeper spending cuts. Their positions put them at odds with many Republicans in this politically potent state who helped propel Trump to the White House. Asked by CNN before Thursday's event if he's faced pushback from Republicans in Iowa who want to see Trump's agenda advance quickly, Paul acknowledged that 'some have.' 'Some people come up to me and some people genuinely say, 'Support the president. Support the president,'' Paul said. 'But I think I was elected to be an independent voice.' 'There are things that we have some disagreements, and I don't think it would be right just to be quiet and not try to make the bill better,' Paul said. Scott said he is eager to achieve much of Trump's bill, including making 2017 tax cuts permanent and funding efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. 'I want to get the president's agenda done, too,' he told CNN. But, Scott said, 'we have to understand we have a spending problem.' 'Interest rates are high. Inflation is high. If we want to help … we got to get a balanced budget,' Scott said. 'We've got to have a we have to have a clear path to balanced budget.' Though the 2028 election is still years from taking shape, Iowa — where an open race for governor and competitive House races in next year's midterm elections give ambitious Republicans a pretext to visit and help raise money — is a near-permanent presidential battleground when an incumbent won't be on the ballot in the next election. Jeff Kaufmann, the longtime Iowa Republican Party chairman, said potential candidates are already calling him to ask for advice. 'We're certainly not going to have a 'Never Trump' candidate that even has a prayer. I'm not even sure at this point if a person that is lukewarm on Trump is going to do very well,' Kaufmann told CNN. But, he said, voters there have 'a high tolerance for debate.' 'As long as they explain themselves — and in Iowa, they're going to have a chance to do that — and as long as they are methodical and the underlying basis is conservative, come to Iowa,' Kaufmann said. 'Everybody is going to get an honest look.' That tolerance for debate was on display Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, when Paul received a friendly applause even after delivering a speech criticizing Trump's tariffs and staking out his opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill' that contains much of Trump's agenda. The Kentucky senator said he opposes the measure's debt ceiling hike and wants to see overall spending levels drastically reduced. Doug Dix, a retired banker who lives in Hiawatha who attended Paul's speech Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, said he agrees with Paul's positions on principle, but doesn't want to see Trump's agenda thwarted. 'I'm looking for somebody that wins and gets things done,' he said. 'Let's see if they get it done. I don't think Rand Paul's going to prevent it from getting it done.' 'Get the bill done. Get it on his desk,' Dix said. Many Republicans said they are frustrated — not with Senate conservatives yet, but with judges, Democrats and the media, which they described as playing much larger roles in impeding Trump. Tim Striley, the chairman of the Clinton County Republican Party, said Friday the intra-party debates over the bill are 'healthy.' More frustrating, he said, are court rulings blocking Trump's actions. 'You've got to give the man a chance to govern,' he said. 'They didn't do that the first time.' Bonnie Powell, a retired nurse in Davenport, said she'd like to see Republicans on Capitol Hill back Trump. 'It gets frustrating,' she said. 'But no matter how frustrating, Republicans aren't near at the level of disagreeing as the other party.' Her husband Steve Powell added: 'Rand Paul, I've always liked him, but I don't agree with him on this. … He's only one vote. He's not going to make the difference.' 'I'd like to see them follow through with what Trump's already started,' he said.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
In Iowa, Trump's agenda collides with 2028 ambitions
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, at fundraisers in Iowa this week, sought to explain to the Republicans who are poised to have the first say in picking the party's 2028 presidential nominee why they want to put the brakes on the 'big, beautiful' bill that contains much of President Donald Trump's agenda. But Sue Cheek, a resident of Eldridge nearby, didn't want to hear it. 'We are the ones that elected Trump. This is what we wanted him to do. So let him do it,' she told CNN minutes before Scott took the stage at a fundraiser Friday night at a casino in Davenport. 'We are in a critical place right now in our country,' said Cheek, who works at a credit union. 'I don't care how much it costs to make our country secure. Once we get that done, then we can worry about that other stuff.' Trump is only months into his second term in office, but already, ambitious Republicans are flocking to the state whose caucuses are expected to kick off the party's 2028 presidential nominating contest. Paul spoke at a GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, and Scott followed with a fundraiser in Davenport on Friday. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the conservative Christian group The Family Leader's summit in July. Days later, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit Des Moines to headline the state party's Lincoln Dinner. The two senators arrived in Iowa while the fate of Trump's legislative agenda rested in the Senate. Conservatives like Paul and Scott are demanding changes — with Paul seeking to remove a debt ceiling increase and both seeking much steeper spending cuts. Their positions put them at odds with many Republicans in this politically potent state who helped propel Trump to the White House. Asked by CNN before Thursday's event if he's faced pushback from Republicans in Iowa who want to see Trump's agenda advance quickly, Paul acknowledged that 'some have.' 'Some people come up to me and some people genuinely say, 'Support the president. Support the president,'' Paul said. 'But I think I was elected to be an independent voice.' 'There are things that we have some disagreements, and I don't think it would be right just to be quiet and not try to make the bill better,' Paul said. Scott said he is eager to achieve much of Trump's bill, including making 2017 tax cuts permanent and funding efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. 'I want to get the president's agenda done, too,' he told CNN. But, Scott said, 'we have to understand we have a spending problem.' 'Interest rates are high. Inflation is high. If we want to help … we got to get a balanced budget,' Scott said. 'We've got to have a we have to have a clear path to balanced budget.' Though the 2028 election is still years from taking shape, Iowa — where an open race for governor and competitive House races in next year's midterm elections give ambitious Republicans a pretext to visit and help raise money — is a near-permanent presidential battleground when an incumbent won't be on the ballot in the next election. Jeff Kaufmann, the longtime Iowa Republican Party chairman, said potential candidates are already calling him to ask for advice. 'We're certainly not going to have a 'Never Trump' candidate that even has a prayer. I'm not even sure at this point if a person that is lukewarm on Trump is going to do very well,' Kaufmann told CNN. But, he said, voters there have 'a high tolerance for debate.' 'As long as they explain themselves — and in Iowa, they're going to have a chance to do that — and as long as they are methodical and the underlying basis is conservative, come to Iowa,' Kaufmann said. 'Everybody is going to get an honest look.' That tolerance for debate was on display Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, when Paul received a friendly applause even after delivering a speech criticizing Trump's tariffs and staking out his opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill' that contains much of Trump's agenda. The Kentucky senator said he opposes the measure's debt ceiling hike and wants to see overall spending levels drastically reduced. Doug Dix, a retired banker who lives in Hiawatha who attended Paul's speech Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, said he agrees with Paul's positions on principle, but doesn't want to see Trump's agenda thwarted. 'I'm looking for somebody that wins and gets things done,' he said. 'Let's see if they get it done. I don't think Rand Paul's going to prevent it from getting it done.' 'Get the bill done. Get it on his desk,' Dix said. Many Republicans said they are frustrated — not with Senate conservatives yet, but with judges, Democrats and the media, which they described as playing much larger roles in impeding Trump. Tim Striley, the chairman of the Clinton County Republican Party, said Friday the intra-party debates over the bill are 'healthy.' More frustrating, he said, are court rulings blocking Trump's actions. 'You've got to give the man a chance to govern,' he said. 'They didn't do that the first time.' Bonnie Powell, a retired nurse in Davenport, said she'd like to see Republicans on Capitol Hill back Trump. 'It gets frustrating,' she said. 'But no matter how frustrating, Republicans aren't near at the level of disagreeing as the other party.' Her husband Steve Powell added: 'Rand Paul, I've always liked him, but I don't agree with him on this. … He's only one vote. He's not going to make the difference.' 'I'd like to see them follow through with what Trump's already started,' he said.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
In Iowa, Trump's agenda collides with 2028 ambitions
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, at fundraisers in Iowa this week, sought to explain to the Republicans who are poised to have the first say in picking the party's 2028 presidential nominee why they want to put the brakes on the 'big, beautiful' bill that contains much of President Donald Trump's agenda. But Sue Cheek, a resident of Eldridge nearby, didn't want to hear it. 'We are the ones that elected Trump. This is what we wanted him to do. So let him do it,' she told CNN minutes before Scott took the stage at a fundraiser Friday night at a casino in Davenport. 'We are in a critical place right now in our country,' said Cheek, who works at a credit union. 'I don't care how much it costs to make our country secure. Once we get that done, then we can worry about that other stuff.' Trump is only months into his second term in office, but already, ambitious Republicans are flocking to the state whose caucuses are expected to kick off the party's 2028 presidential nominating contest. Paul spoke at a GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, and Scott followed with a fundraiser in Davenport on Friday. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the conservative Christian group The Family Leader's summit in July. Days later, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit Des Moines to headline the state party's Lincoln Dinner. The two senators arrived in Iowa while the fate of Trump's legislative agenda rested in the Senate. Conservatives like Paul and Scott are demanding changes — with Paul seeking to remove a debt ceiling increase and both seeking much steeper spending cuts. Their positions put them at odds with many Republicans in this politically potent state who helped propel Trump to the White House. Asked by CNN before Thursday's event if he's faced pushback from Republicans in Iowa who want to see Trump's agenda advance quickly, Paul acknowledged that 'some have.' 'Some people come up to me and some people genuinely say, 'Support the president. Support the president,'' Paul said. 'But I think I was elected to be an independent voice.' 'There are things that we have some disagreements, and I don't think it would be right just to be quiet and not try to make the bill better,' Paul said. Scott said he is eager to achieve much of Trump's bill, including making 2017 tax cuts permanent and funding efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. 'I want to get the president's agenda done, too,' he told CNN. But, Scott said, 'we have to understand we have a spending problem.' 'Interest rates are high. Inflation is high. If we want to help … we got to get a balanced budget,' Scott said. 'We've got to have a we have to have a clear path to balanced budget.' Though the 2028 election is still years from taking shape, Iowa — where an open race for governor and competitive House races in next year's midterm elections give ambitious Republicans a pretext to visit and help raise money — is a near-permanent presidential battleground when an incumbent won't be on the ballot in the next election. Jeff Kaufmann, the longtime Iowa Republican Party chairman, said potential candidates are already calling him to ask for advice. 'We're certainly not going to have a 'Never Trump' candidate that even has a prayer. I'm not even sure at this point if a person that is lukewarm on Trump is going to do very well,' Kaufmann told CNN. But, he said, voters there have 'a high tolerance for debate.' 'As long as they explain themselves — and in Iowa, they're going to have a chance to do that — and as long as they are methodical and the underlying basis is conservative, come to Iowa,' Kaufmann said. 'Everybody is going to get an honest look.' That tolerance for debate was on display Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, when Paul received a friendly applause even after delivering a speech criticizing Trump's tariffs and staking out his opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill' that contains much of Trump's agenda. The Kentucky senator said he opposes the measure's debt ceiling hike and wants to see overall spending levels drastically reduced. Doug Dix, a retired banker who lives in Hiawatha who attended Paul's speech Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, said he agrees with Paul's positions on principle, but doesn't want to see Trump's agenda thwarted. 'I'm looking for somebody that wins and gets things done,' he said. 'Let's see if they get it done. I don't think Rand Paul's going to prevent it from getting it done.' 'Get the bill done. Get it on his desk,' Dix said. Many Republicans said they are frustrated — not with Senate conservatives yet, but with judges, Democrats and the media, which they described as playing much larger roles in impeding Trump. Tim Striley, the chairman of the Clinton County Republican Party, said Friday the intra-party debates over the bill are 'healthy.' More frustrating, he said, are court rulings blocking Trump's actions. 'You've got to give the man a chance to govern,' he said. 'They didn't do that the first time.' Bonnie Powell, a retired nurse in Davenport, said she'd like to see Republicans on Capitol Hill back Trump. 'It gets frustrating,' she said. 'But no matter how frustrating, Republicans aren't near at the level of disagreeing as the other party.' Her husband Steve Powell added: 'Rand Paul, I've always liked him, but I don't agree with him on this. … He's only one vote. He's not going to make the difference.' 'I'd like to see them follow through with what Trump's already started,' he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CVS and Express Scripts sued to block a new law restricting drug middlemen
CVS and Cigna-owned Express Scripts filed lawsuits Thursday to block an Arkansas law that tries to curb the power of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the state. PBMs, also known as drug middlemen, are third-party administrators of prescription drug plans for health insurers. They negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over how much a health plan will pay for a drug and set the out-of-pocket costs for patients. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law last month that banned PBMs from owning and operating pharmacies in the state, saying at the time that they 'have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers.' The legislation came following two reports from the Federal Trade Commission and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability last year that accused PBMs of reaping massive profits by pushing patients to pay for more expensive drugs, including life-saving cancer medicine. Supporters of the Arkansas law, which goes into effect in January, claimed it would also greatly help independent pharmacies, which can't compete with PBM-owned chains like CVS. In its lawsuit Thursday, CVS said the legislation will force it to close 23 pharmacies in the state, eliminating hundreds of jobs, and claimed the ban would 'drive-up costs for Arkansans.' CVS, which declined to further comment, said in their press release that the law violates the Dormant Commerce Clause, a part of the Constitution that restricts states from discriminating against or unfairly burdening out-of-state businesses. It also said the law violates the company's Equal Protection rights. Susan Peppers, vice president of pharmacy practice for Evernorth Health Services, which runs Express Scripts and is owned by Cigna, said in a press release that 'if this law takes effect in January, hundreds of thousands of Arkansans will be left scrambling to navigate the forced closure of pharmacies and finding new ways to get their medicines and critical clinical support.' While advocates say the law will help rural Arkansans whose local pharmacies can't stay afloat, Express Scripts is claiming the opposite. The law 'could be especially challenging for the more than 40% of Arkansans that live in a rural area and may not have easy access to a retail pharmacy,' it said. In a statement to Quartz, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin defended the legislation. 'Pharmacy benefit managers wield outsized power to reap massive profits at the expense of consumers,' he said. 'Through Act 624, Arkansas is standing up to PBMs on behalf of consumers, and I will vigorously defend our law.' For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
