Trump rebuffs LePage on banning soda, candy purchases with food stamps
Source: Bangor Daily News
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has denied him on a second try in his long-standing battle to ban soft drink and candy purchases with federal food stamp benefits.
The Republican governor called it “extremely disappointing” in a radio address. A LePage spokeswoman said that the federal agency handed down the decision this week and that Maine plans to revise and resubmit the request.
It’s a sign that the administration of President Donald Trump may follow past precedent on the issue. A USDA spokesman said in a statement that the agency doesn’t want to “pick winners and losers” in the food marketplace or judge “the relative benefits of individual food products.”
In 2016, the USDA — under former Democratic President Barack Obama — rejected Maine’s last attempt to ban these purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Benefits are paid for by the federal government, which splits administrative costs with states.
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Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2018/01/18/politics/trump-rebuffs-lepage-on-banning-soda-candy-purchases-with-food-stamps/
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