Hunter
08/05/25
Governor Kim Reynolds joined a news conference in Washington DC Monday to to praise the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Trump administration for allowing Iowa to restrict certain foods under a federal aid program and implement an alternative summer nutrition program for children.
Iowa Capital Dispatch reports US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed six SNAP state waivers — for Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia — at the event, approving restrictions on food purchases under the program. These waivers will allow states to limit the purchase of certain items, like candy or soda, using food benefits. She said these waivers are part of the administration’s larger “Make America Healthy Again” work, championed primarily by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr
The USDA signed off on Iowa’s SNAP waiver in May. Reynolds thanked Rollins for enabling Iowa to help lead the nation in SNAP reform. She claimed allowing people to purchase soda, desserts and salty snacks through SNAP worsens problems with obesity.
Iowa turned down federal money provided by the Summer EBT program, which provided an extra $120 per child to eligible families when school was not in session. Instead, Reynolds sought federal approval to pursue an alternate program, providing a premade box of food worth $40 each month from 500 access points. The waiver for Healthy Kids Iowa was denied in 2024 under the Biden administration, but approved under Trump.
Though there were 500 sites approved in the initial waiver, there are currently 264 locations providing the food boxes to program participants. Hunger advocates have said this program is more difficult for families in need to access food, as transportation to these locations can be more difficult than going to a retailer that accepts SNAP through the Summer EBT program.