Rep. Brandon Gill Presses SNAP Advocate Over Taxpayer-Funded Soda During Heated House Hearing

Rep. Brandon Gill repeatedly pressed a food policy advocate Thursday over whether taxpayer-funded food stamps should be used to purchase sugary sodas, producing one of the most heated exchanges during a House hearing on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The clash unfolded during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing examining waste, fraud, and abuse in SNAP, the roughly $100 billion federal nutrition program that provides benefits to more than 40 million Americans.

Republicans argued the program needs stronger guardrails to prevent taxpayer dollars from being spent on unhealthy products, while Democrats warned against placing additional restrictions on low-income families.

Gill questioned Gina Plata-Nino, director of policy and advocacy for the Food Research and Action Center, about whether SNAP benefits should cover soda purchases.

Plata-Nino initially responded that the program exists to help families purchase “food and beverages.”

Gill then narrowed the discussion to sugary soft drinks.

“I’m happy to talk about hunger and nutrition, but not dictate what Americans should or should not eat,” Plata-Nino replied.

Unsatisfied, Gill continued pressing the witness.

“Should tax dollars be used to pay for sodas?” he asked, before following up by asking whether Americans “need sugary sodas to survive.”

“Some of them do, who do have low blood issues,” Plata-Nino responded, adding that individuals with certain conditions might also require sugary beverages in some circumstances.

Gill then turned to a specific example.

“Do the American people need Coca-Cola to survive?… What’s nutritional about Coca-Cola?” he asked.

“I am not a nutritionist. I am a food security expert,” Plata-Nino answered.

Gill argued there is “not nutritional value to sugary sodas” and criticized the witness for refusing to say taxpayer-funded nutrition benefits should not be used to buy them.

When Plata-Nino attempted to pivot back to hunger, saying, “I think that focusing on soda when people are going hungry—,” Gill interrupted.

“We spend a lot of our tax dollars… on soda. That’s why I’m asking about it,” the Texas Republican said.

Gill also revealed that Plata-Nino’s organization, FRAC, is funded by “Big Soda,” potentially creating a conflict of interest.

Watch the clip below:

Brandon Gill asked FRAC’s director of SNAP policy if people should be able to buy soda with food stamps.

She said yes.

He then left her speechless after exposing how FRAC is funded by Big Soda and companies that profit off EBT dollars. pic.twitter.com/RkSQaMyGIE

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 25, 2026