Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday filed a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that outlined her plan to ban state food stamps from being used on soft drinks and candy.

The waiver comes as the Trump administration prioritizes making "America Healthy Again" by combating the obesity and chronic health crisis in the country. Sanders' office cited a 2014 study that found banning sugary drinks could prevent obesity in children and Type 2 diabetes in adults.

“President Trump and his administration have put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic and reforming our food stamp program is a great place to start,” Sanders said in a statement. “Banning soft drinks and candy from food stamps will remove some of the least-healthy, most-processed foods from the program and encourage low-income Arkansans to eat better."

In addition to banning the use of soft drinks and candy, the waiver also seeks to add rotisserie chicken as a covered food item under Arkansas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The governor's office highlighted the impact that the change could have on Arkansas residents, stating that one third of the state's residents have diabetes or pre-diabetes. The office also said that 23% of federal food stamp charges go toward unhealthy food choices like junk food and sodas. 

Maryland GOP Rep. Andy Harris, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, praised the governor's move in a statement on X.

"Soft drinks are not only allowed on SNAP – they are the #1 item purchased," he wrote. "Congratulations to [Sanders] for submitting the first waiver to end taxpayer funded candy and soft drinks in food stamps. Funneling billions of dollars to subsidize unhealthy food in the SNAP program — and increasing the risk of diseases — is not a wise use of taxpayer dollars."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.