‘I Am Not A Nutritionist’: GOP Rep Presses ‘Expert’ On Why Taxpayers Need To Pay For People’s Soda

Republican Texas Rep. Brandon Gill pressed a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) advocate Thursday on why taxpayers should pay for sugary drinks.

The House Oversight subcommittee examined waste, fraud and abuse in SNAP, a roughly $100 billion program that provides food for more than 40 million Americans. Gina Plata-Nino, director of policy and advocacy for the Food Research and Action Center, could not provide a straight answer on why tax dollars should cover SNAP recipients’ sugary drinks.

“You think they need Coca Cola to survive?” Gill asked. “You think that’s the most appropriate use of our tax dollars? … Do the American people need Coca-Cola to survive? You think there’s some Americans who need Coca Cola to survive? Is that your testimony? … I think most people can rationally say that you don’t need Coca Cola to survive, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I agree that we have a hunger crisis and that we need to address it by ensuring that people have the food resources that we need,” Plato-Nino said.

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Gill pressed Plato-Nino to explain what is nutritional about Coca Cola.

“I am not a nutritionist, I am a food security expert in ensuring that individuals have the food resources that they need,” Plato-Nino said.

“This is a common sense question,” Gill replied. “All of these have been common sense questions. I’m just asking you if there’s nutritional value to sugary sodas.”

“I am not an expert,” Plato-Nino said.

Coca-Cola contains