The House and Senate have finally passed a legislative deal to raise the nation’s debt limit, which was a move necessary so the national government could legally accommodate expenses to which it was already committed.
In the Senate, many amendments were proposed — and many failed. One such amendment was from past presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), whose measure would have blocked families using benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, from buying soda with the government funds made available.
The idea smacks of pointless restrictions around already struggling people, since it’s not as though soda or sugar itself are some kind of instant health concern. Like with so much else, the basic science seems to indicate it’s just about moderation — but this idea would have kept low-income people from accessing beverages with added sugar that are available to many, many Americans and have been a fixture of society for a very long time.
Is the cruelty the point? The accessibility of SNAP benefits was a significant sticking point in negotiations ahead of the legislative deal that was eventually formulated. Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents were slightly expanded, but new exemptions were added for individuals like those without homes and veterans. In general, state authorities also have the opportunity to issue limited exceptions of their own for the work requirements that remain.
Amid negotiations, Republicans had also sought new work requirements for receiving help under Medicaid, but no such new initiatives were included in the legislation eventually presented to Congress, where more Democrats than Republicans actually voted for it in the House.
