A SNAP advocate stressed whether Americans need Coca-Cola through Rep. Brandon Gill
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Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, confronted SNAP’s policy advocate during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Thursday, pressing him to answer whether Americans “need Coca-Cola to survive” and whether taxpayer-funded food benefits should pay for sugary sodas.
The exchange comes as lawmakers examine waste, fraud and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an estimated $100 billion program that helps more than 40 million Americans. During the hearings, Republicans argued that lax oversight allowed the misuse of taxpayer dollars, while Democrats warned of limiting benefits for eligible families.
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Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol on May 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Gill first asked Gina Plata-Nino, director of policy and advocacy for the Food Research and Action Center, whether SNAP dollars should be spent on soda. He replied that the program exists to provide families with “food and drinks.”
When Gill narrowed the question to sugary sodas, he said he’s “happy to talk about hunger and food, but he can’t say what Americans should or shouldn’t eat.”
Gill, apparently unsatisfied with the answer, continued to press and asked whether “tax dollars should be used to pay for sodas” and whether Americans “need sugary sodas to survive.”
“Some of them have, with low blood pressure,” said Plata-Nino, adding that those “with kidney problems” may need such drinks, too.
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A customer buys eggs at a grocery store on March 12, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Undeterred, the congressman followed: “Do Americans need Coca-Cola to survive?… What is the nutritional value of Coca-Cola?”
“I’m not a nutritionist. I’m a food safety expert,” Plata-Nino replied.
Gill later argued that “there is no nutritional value in sugary sodas” and criticized the witness for denying that taxpayers should subsidize their SNAP purchases.
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps more than 40 million Americans buy groceries. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
“I think the focus is on soda when people are hungry,” Plata-Nino began before Gill interrupted.
“We spend a lot of our tax dollars… on soda. That’s why I’m asking about it,” he lamented.
The exchange ended with Gill asking if drinking soda every day is healthy. He responded that “the worst health outcome is hunger” and emphasized that he is focused on ensuring that families receive food supplies.
