Last week, the US Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), overseeing the nation’s health, wellness, medical care, and health research programs. Read our statement on the nomination, which notes our commitment to working with the agency to prioritize physical activity in national health policy.
Fitness Takes the Floor on Capitol Hill
HFA advocacy was integral in ensuring fitness was part of several key discussions on public health and fitness accessibility that occurred this month in Washington, DC.
Throughout his confirmation hearings, fitness took center stage when Kennedy was directly asked about the role of exercise in public health. The HFA advocacy team was instrumental in providing senators with key questions to ask during the confirmation process. See the clips below for important statements about fitness and exercise made during the hearing.
Fitness as a Crucial Part of Making America Healthy
In the video below, Sen. Jim Banks asks Kennedy if he sees fitness as a crucial part of reversing the obesity epidemic in America.
A Prescription for Exercise Should Come Alongside a GLP-1 Prescription
In the video below, Kennedy discusses why a prescription for exercise should always be included when GLP-1s are prescribed.
Additionally, during a recent hearing by the US House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Modernizing American Health Care, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a key industry ally and sponsor of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, made a strong case for the act to his congressional colleagues, highlighting how the bill would make fitness more accessible for all Americans. He shared HFA data to demonstrate the impact of intervention for public health, and he submitted into the Congressional record HFA’s report, Reversing the Physical Inactivity Crisis: Fitness Affordability as Strategic Policy.
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick on the PHIT Act, Cites HFA Research
In the video below, Fitzpatrick says "Exercise is medicine." He discusses the benefits of the PHIT Act and submits a referenced HFA research report to the record.
