Freshman Representative Brandon Gill has introduced a bill aimed at prohibiting restaurants from accepting food stamp benefits, asserting that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should only be utilized for purchasing groceries. The bill, unveiled on Thursday, seeks to terminate the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which allows beneficiaries to buy hot meals at designated eateries.
Gill stated, "SNAP is supposed to help struggling Americans put nutritious food on the table, not stick taxpayers with the bill for fast food," in a statement to The Post. He highlighted that over $524 million in SNAP benefits have been spent at restaurants through this program in the past two years, while the Trump administration is attempting to eliminate junk food from the program.
According to previous reports, approximately $524 million was spent at restaurants across nine states with RMPs — New York, California, Arizona, Michigan, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Illinois, Virginia, and Maryland — from June 2023 to May 2025. California accounted for the highest expenditure at restaurants, totaling $475 million, followed by Arizona at $41.4 million and New York at $3.6 million.
Gill's proposed legislation, named the Ending Restaurant Purchases with SNAP Act, would still allow public and nonprofit organizations to provide meals to beneficiaries, including disabled and elderly individuals eligible for home deliveries. The RMP was established by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to assist individuals who lack cooking facilities or adequate food storage in obtaining ready-to-eat meals.
In June, Gill engaged in a discussion with Gina Plata-Nino, the director of SNAP Policy and Advocacy at the Food Research and Action Center, regarding the use of food stamps for unhealthy products such as soft drinks. During this exchange, Gill questioned whether Americans need Coca-Cola to survive, stating, "I think most people can rationally say that you don’t need Coca-Cola to survive."
The following month, Gill joined a group of GOP lawmakers, led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), in expressing concerns about SNAP spending at fast food restaurants. They urged the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to review the RMP rules to determine if they require tightening. The legislators noted that the program, initially intended as a limited accommodation for individuals unable to store or prepare food, has expanded and is now largely utilized by major national fast-food and quick-service chains.