Protecting Veterans Second Amendment Rights When Appointing Fiduciary, SNAP Recipients Cannot Buy Snacks, Soda, ‘Unhealthy’ Items: Senator Paul
Protecting Veterans Second Amendment Rights When Appointing Fiduciary, SNAP Recipients Cannot Buy Snacks, Soda, ‘Unhealthy’ Items: Senator Paul
Editor’s note: While it is true that obesity rates are increasing, there are legitimately times when a SNAP recipient might want to purchase soda, chips, or candy. Such as, if they want to have a party. Half of average American families host a party at least once a month. While some host more often, only 10% of families never host guests at their house. These SNAP restrictions mean a family might not be able to have such a celebration since they often don’t have another source of funds with which to shop for food and groceries. Earlier this month, No Kid Hungry shared a study that showed that low income people, including those on SNAP, are going into debt to buy basic items like food.
Dr. Paul Joined Sen. Kennedy in Protecting Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Senator John Kennedy’s (R-LA) legislation to prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would preserve the constitutional rights of Veterans.
“No veteran should have to choose between getting the help they need and preserving their constitutional rights. The VA’s longstanding policy unfairly targets those who served our country, placing bureaucratic decisions above due process. I’m proud to join this effort to defend the Second Amendment rights of our veterans and ensure they are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve.” – Dr. Rand Paul
“Our veterans should not receive less due process rights than other Americans just because they served our country and asked the federal government for a helping hand. Under the VA’s interpretation of the law, however, unelected bureaucrats punish Louisiana and America’s veterans by forcing them to choose between their Second Amendment rights and getting the help they need as they manage their financial affairs. I’m proud to introduce the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act to stand up for veterans’ constitutional rights by ending this unfair practice.” – Senator Kennedy
Because of the VA’s interpretation of current law, the VA sends a beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help a beneficiary manage his or her VA benefit payments.
Ultimately, VA employees decide whether veterans receive help from a fiduciary.
The bill would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting a veteran’s personal information to NICS unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or others.
You can read the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act HERE.
Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Nutritious SNAP Act to Restore Personal Responsibility, and State Flexibility to Federal Food Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Nutritious SNAP Act to confront an uncomfortable truth: while the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was created to fight hunger, it is now fueling a new public health crisis—obesity and chronic disease—by subsidizing the purchase of junk food with taxpayer dollars.
“SNAP was designed to fight hunger and improve nutrition—not to subsidize soda and junk food,” said Dr. Paul. “It makes no sense that taxpayer dollars are being used to fund an epidemic of obesity and diet-related illness in low-income communities. My bill ensures that this assistance program actually supports health and wellness, not chronic disease.”
SNAP currently provides food-purchasing assistance to more than 42 million individuals. While it successfully addresses food insecurity, studies show that nearly one-quarter of SNAP benefits are spent on junk food—sodas, chips, snack cakes, and desserts—contributing to worse diets and higher obesity rates among SNAP recipients than the general population. Despite these health concerns, previous efforts by states—like Minnesota, California, and New York—to limit SNAP junk food purchases have been rejected by the USDA.
The Nutritious SNAP Act represents a common-sense step toward improving public health, protecting taxpayer dollars, and respecting the decisions made by states to combat chronic disease.
BACKGROUND
Senator Paul’s legislation will:
- Prohibit SNAP funds from being used to purchase sodas, snack foods, and dessert items, including potato chips, snack cakes, and brownie mixes.
- Limits beverage purchases to water, cow’s milk, healthy dairy alternatives, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice.
- Empowers states to restrict additional foods they deem unhealthy, restoring local control and removing federal barriers to innovation in public health policy.
With nearly a quarter of SNAP benefits currently spent on sugar-laden, nutrient-poor products, the bill seeks to realign the program with its original mission: to improve the nutrition of low-income households.
You can read Dr. Paul’s bill HERE
Banner Image: Veteran. Image Credit – Mikhail Tyrsyna
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