MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – Governor Patrick Morrisey was joined by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to announce the administration’s intent to have West Virginia lead the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and save federal tax dollars in the process.
Gov. Morrisey said that West Virginia ranks at the bottom of many health metrics and that “we lead most of the country in obesity stats and heart disease” adding “we have one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the county.”
He says he plans to address that with this announcement of the “Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia”
The first pillar looks to “Clean Up the Food”. Gov. Morrisey recently signed legislation that bans certain dyes in public school lunches and eventually all foods in West Virginia.
The governor claims there are studies showing dyes “create problems with hormones” and can cause cancer.
The HHS Secretary echoed that sentiment in his portion of the press conference.
“We’re not eating food, we’re eating food-like substances,” said Kennedy.
Morrisey adds he believes West Virginia is the “first state in the nation to make sweeping changes to clean up our food”.
Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill 3 days before Gov. Morrisey banning dyes in public lunches in the commonwealth, though that bill did not include plans to eventually extend the ban statewide like in the mountain state.
The second pillar in the governor’s plan is “Find Purpose, Find Health”, with Gov. Morrisey saying that the mountain state has the lowest workforce participation in the nation.
“One of my priorities is getting West Virginians back to work,” Gov. Morrisey said.
He intends to expand work and training requirements for all SNAP recipients, a bill that is making its way through the legislature.
“Outside of limited exceptions, if you have the ability to work, you should,” said Gov. Morrisey.
“If you love our country you have to take care of yourself,” said Kennedy “We cannot have a strong country if we have sick citizens.”
The third pillar was announced as “Move your Body, Change Your Life”. The governor introduced the concept of the Mountaineer Mile, challenging West Virginians to walk a mile a day.
The final pillar looks to “Reward Healthy Food Choices”. The governor says SNAP recipients need to choose lean meats, fresh produces over “ultra-processed crap that barely qualifies as food” and says SNAP needs to be “realigned”.
“If tax payers are paying for it let’s make sure it fuels health not disease,” said Gov. Morrisey. “Why should hard earned federal and state tax dollars be able to ignore nutrition?”
He is requesting a SNAP waiver from federal government to no longer have “tax payer subsidized soda as an entitlement under SNAP”
A bill that could ban soda and candy from SNAP benefits has not made much movement in the legislature.
Morrisey believes the state can achieve its health goals and “save federal money at the same time”.
“Where tax dollars are involved, we’re incentivizing the consumption of healthier foods, respecting the dignity of work and we’re living up to our name, Wild and Wonderful and now a healthier West Virginia,” said Gov. Morrisey.
Concern about money being spent on healthcare is shared by Kennedy.
“We are now paying more for diabetes and mitochondrial dysfunction than we are for our military,” said Kennedy. “Financially it is bankrupting our country.” Kennedy adds he believes 47% of kids cannot qualify for military service because of chronic disease.
“It’s effecting our national security and it’s destroying our economy,” said Kenendy.
He added that he believes that politicians in the past have argued over how to pay for healthcare as apposed to preventing Americans from needing to use it.
“Nobody has been focused on how do we get ourselves less sick,” Kennedy said. “It’s like moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. No matter what you do our country is going to go bankrupt.”
The HHS Secretary commended Morrisey on his announcements regarding food dyes and SNAP benefits.
“You have a visionary governor in this state and now West Virginia is leading the way,” RFK Jr. said.
RFK Jr. challenged the Gov. Morrisey to show West Virginians how he is following the Four Pillars by holding public monthly weigh-ins. Adding he will return to the state with a celebration if Morrisey loses 30 pounds.
The press conference ended with the governor signing the request for a waiver allowing West Virginia to bar citizens from using SNAP to purchase soda with the funds.
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