MTHA Applauds Governor on SNAP Waiver

AUSTIN, TX — Make Texans Healthy Again (MTHA) applauds Governor Greg Abbott’s formal request to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits on sugary drinks and ultra-processed junk food. This is a long-overdue step toward restoring the original intent of SNAP—to help families access real, nutritious food.

“Health isn’t just about what you eat—it’s also about what you don’t eat,” said Travis McCormick, founder of MTHA. “The most vulnerable Texans deserve better than a system that keeps them trapped in a cycle of poor nutrition and poor health.”

Over the last 50 years, obesity rates in the U.S. have surged from 14.5% to 42.8%, and diagnosed diabetes cases have skyrocketed from 1.6 million to over 37 million. Seven of the ten leading causes of death are now diet-related. Meanwhile, in Texas, Medicaid spending has tripled over the last two decades—driven in large part by the rise in chronic, diet-related disease.

Texans deserve a system that promotes lasting health and real food—not one that subsidizes the cycle of sickness.

Governor Abbott’s request, submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), seeks a federal waiver that would allow Texas to align SNAP purchases with basic nutritional standards. The USDA has previously resisted similar reforms, but growing bipartisan concern over diet-related disease has shifted the conversation. Both Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins have signaled support for such waivers if states are willing to take the lead.

You can view Governor Abbott’s letter below: