Crowd (02:32):
No, it's an eight, seven. I've got an FS seven at home, this is what they give us at work.
Music (02:32):
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(02:32)
Because I'm happy.
(02:32)
Clap along if you know what happiness to you.
Crowd (02:32):
Yeah. Three's and nine's, but sixes are real nice.
Music (02:33):
Clap along if you feel like that's what you want to do.
Crowd (02:36):
I bought my seven when the sixes came, I got it cheaper.
(02:37)
Not bad.
(02:37)
No, it's mark two, so it's good for density.
Music (02:37):
Bring me down.
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Can't nothin'.
(02:37)
Bring me down.
(02:37)
Can't nothin'.
(02:37)
Bring me down.
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My levels too high.
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Bring me down.
(02:37)
Can't nothin'.
(02:37)
Bring me down, I said.
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Because I'm happy.
(02:37)
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(02:37)
Because I'm happy.
(02:37)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
Crowd (02:37):
Mm-hmm.
Music (02:37):
Because I'm happy.
(02:37)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(02:37)
Because I'm happy.
(02:37)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you want to do.
(02:37)
Because I'm happy.
(02:37)
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(02:37)
Because I'm happy.
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Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(02:37)
Because I'm happy.
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Clap if you know what happiness is to you.
Crowd (02:37):
So are you [inaudible 00:03:42]?
(02:37)
A bit.
(02:37)
[inaudible 00:03:51].
(02:37)
Oh.
(02:37)
Out of DC?
Music (02:37):
Clap if you feel like that's what you want to do.
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Happy, bring me down.
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Can't nothin'.
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Bring me down.
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Levels too high.
Crowd (03:57):
I'm out of DC. I work for [inaudible 00:03:58].
(03:57)
[inaudible 00:04:01].
Music (03:57):
Bring me down.
(03:57)
I said, because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap if you feel like that's what you want to do.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(03:57)
Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(03:57)
Yeah. Because I'm happy.
(03:57)
Clap along if you feel like that what's you want to do.
Crowd (03:57):
[inaudible 00:04:55].
Music (03:57):
I can make your hands clap.
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Said I can make your hands clap.
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I can make your hands clap.
Patrick Morrisey (09:34):
How about that welcome? Thank you very much.
(09:34)
Let me start by ensuring that everyone in this room, let's give the warmest West Virginia welcome to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Guys want you don't you take a seat. I want to thank everyone so much for being here. I want to thank all of the elected officials. I want to thank our wonderful First Lady of the state of West Virginia, Denise. I want to thank the leaders of the MAHA Movement in West Virginia. We want to thank the principal of the school, Maria Byrd. Our Secretaries of Help and Human Services, Dr. Arvind Singh and Alex Mayer. And we also have a special shout out for the key leaders in West Virginia who have made today's event possible.
(11:01)
I'm going to go through them real quick and they're going to have a moment to speak in a few minutes. Chairman, Jason Barrett, who also represents you right here in this district. We have Chairman Evan Worrell. Oh, there you are, I'm sorry. By the way, I want to note that Summer Barrett, who's married to Jason, she's a MAHA mom. We have Chairwoman Laura Chapman. Good friend. Thank you for coming up. And Chairman Adam Burkhammer. Adam's been a big leader here. Thank you. But most of all, we're really grateful for our special guest, RFK Jr. And quite frankly, not just for being here, but being one of the few voices in the country willing to speak the truth even when it's inconvenient.
(12:10)
Now, we're here today to talk about some very serious issues impacting West Virginia and our country. And there's no way around it, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of many public health metrics. We lead most of the country in obesity, stats, heart disease, diabetes. Our children are diagnosed with ADHD, at rates well above the national average, and we have one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the United States. That's the bad news, but we have good news. We have the power to change it.
Crowd (12:55):
Yes.
Patrick Morrisey (13:00):
Yes, we do. And I plan to lead by example. I plan to travel this journey with you, and I'm going to do my best, my personal best to make the hard choices to get healthier. You see, I want all West Virginians to have happy, long, healthy, and purposeful lives. Spending time with friends and family and all the things that really matter. And I'm not afraid to admit that I've not always made the best food and exercise decisions in my life, but I will do my best to get better. That's why today I'm proud to launch what I'm calling the four pillars of a Healthy West Virginia.
(13:50)
First, we have to clean up the food. We really do. Let's start with no more dyes and dangerous additives in the schools.
Patrick Morrisey (14:07):
We know that studies show that can lead to issues with hormones and hyperactivity and learning challenges for kids, and even cancer. Our kids deserve better and now they're going to get it. You deserve that. That's why earlier this week we took the first step to remove those harmful dyes from school nutritional programs and food items throughout the state. I'm thankful to the legislature for their leadership in passing this bill and making West Virginia a leader, the first state in the nation to make sweeping changes to clean up our food. I am hopeful that this new law is going to lead to a broader national discussion and FDA action so we can have more consistent policies across the nation. I'll start with their second pillar. Find purpose, find health. Throughout all of our 55 counties. I want all West Virginians to find a purpose that helps them spring out of bed in the morning and helps them lead healthy and purposeful lives. As the state with the lowest workforce participation rate in the country, one of my priorities has been getting West Virginians back to work.
(15:53)
So today, I'm announcing my intent to expand work, training, and educational requirements for SNAP recipients. I think we can all agree, work is good, work is moral, and it helps us to be stronger in the mind and the body, and we need more of that right here in West Virginia. Outside of limited exceptions, if you have the ability to work, you should.
(16:29)
Pillar three, move your body, change your life. I think all of us know the benefits of exercise, not only for our physical health, but for our mental and spiritual well-being as well. Now look, I stand before you today. I'm not pretending to be a fitness guru, certainly not the way it may have been 30, 40 years ago, but I have asked Secretary Kennedy to be my personal trainer. He hasn't said yes yet, but I think he's sizing me up as a major renovation project. Unfortunately, most of us don't get the exercise we need, myself included. But in order for us to get healthy and start to move the needle in terms of where we rank in many of the public health metrics, we all, as a state, must start exercising more now.
(17:46)
That's why today, part of our third pillar, I'm announcing a statewide exercise movement. We're going to call it the Mountaineer Mile. I'm challenging every West Virginian to get out and walk at least one mile per day. As governor, I understand that I need to do this as well and start shedding the pounds. So in the future, you might start seeing me walking around the capitol complex a little bit longer. You might see me in many of our amazing state parks, plug for our state parks best in the country, right? And you also might see me doing more walking closer to home in the eastern panhandle.
(18:39)
Our fourth pillar, we want to reward healthy food choices. We need to change the SNAP system so that West Virginians are incentivized to make healthy choices like choosing fresh produce, lean meats, and natural foods over a lot of the ultra-processed crap that barely qualifies as food. So beginning today, we're asking for help to realign SNAP so that good food choices are easier to make. If taxpayers are paying for it, let's make sure it fuels health, not disease. And I'm being serious about this. This is not about judging someone's grocery cart, it really isn't. I don't want to do that. I don't think anyone here does. But it is about asking a fair question. Is the SNAP program doing what it was supposed to do? You see, SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That N is for nutrition. It's not for nonsense. If the law says the program is meant to help people get a more nutritious diet, then that should be the standard. Why should hard-earned federal and state tax dollars be allowed to ignore nutrition? Taxpayer dollars should be targeted toward nutritious foods.
(20:28)
That is why today I'm also intending to request a SNAP waiver from the federal government to no longer have taxpayer-subsidized soda as an entitlement under SNAP. We're also going to be incentivizing healthy bundles and other food choices that can help people access and eat better foods, healthier foods. That healthy bundle, and other programs, that's going to expand access to healthy food choices in this area, and all 55 counties in the state. Quite frankly, I think we can do it, and we can also even save money, federal money, at the same time. I'm eager to work with you and the entire Trump administration on that. Making America healthy again, and West Virginia healthy again, that's not just the slogan. That's going to be our mission. And here in the Mountain State, we are leading the charge.
(21:36)
And that's because in West Virginia, we're not just climbing the mountains, we're moving them. Let the rest of the country take note. We're cleaning up our food, we're lifting up our families. Where tax dollars are involved, we're incentivizing consumption of healthier foods. We're respecting the dignity of work, and we're living up to our name, wild and wonderful. And now, a healthier West Virginia. So it's my honor to be here today. I thank you all for coming. God bless you. Now I'm going to take a moment and get ready to turn this over to his fine gentleman next to me.
(22:31)
And I want to recognize someone who quite frankly has become one of the most talked about, most vilified, men in America. You should be proud Mr. Secretary, because I am, of you. Because when the bureaucracy gets nervous, it sees real change coming. Secretary Kennedy has been willing to speak hard truths, take on powerful interests, and stand up for everyday Americans, even when it wasn't popular, even when it wasn't easy. He's not afraid of a fight. And that's exactly the kind of leadership we need in Washington. So today, on the heels of a major public health win in West Virginia, we are proud to stand with him. Please join me in welcoming a warrior for children, a man who refuses to back down, HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr (23:31):
Thank you, everybody. And thank you, Governor Morrisey. I'm very, very happy to be here at St. Joseph's, and I'm really happy to be here in West Virginia. I just wanted to say a few words about West Virginia because West Virginia is a state that holds a special place in the hearts of every Kennedy. In the 1960 campaign, I was living in McLean, Virginia, but my parents disappeared into West Virginia for about six weeks and we didn't see them, as well as all of my aunts, my uncle, President Kennedy, who was then in the Senate, was running for president. And the consensus wisdom around the country was that a Roman Catholic could not be elected President of the United States. Al Smith had run against President Roosevelt, he was a Catholic from New York, Catholic governor, very, very popular. And when people found out that he was Catholic, there was a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there were crosses burned all across the country.
(25:05)
And he lost the election catastrophically. And people just felt, Americans felt, and the pundits all felt, that America would never elect a Catholic president. When my uncle decided to run for president, he knew that he had to win West Virginia. West Virginia had the lowest number of Catholics. Less than 2% of the population was Catholic. And it was thought to be a place where it was a lot of anti-Catholic prejudice. It had voted overwhelmingly against Al Smith. It was critical to my uncle's campaign that he win this state and show the country that a Catholic could win the presidency. He came down to West Virginia and his objective was to shake the hands of every person in West Virginia, and I think he came very close. And my parents came down, my uncles, my aunts, luckily we had a lot of Kennedys. And they all came down, and they spent time really getting to know the people in West Virginia, and understanding the issues in the state, the problems, and those things stayed with him throughout his presidency.
(26:23)
And on election day, he won the state of West Virginia overwhelmingly. And during his presidency, he always believed that he would not be president if he had not won this state. And he never forgot that relationship and that bond that he had formed and that so many members of my family had formed with the people in the state, the affection and the warmth with which they were greeted and embraced. And it's something that now, 70 years later, everybody in our family has this very, very strong affection and bond to this state.
(27:10)
And I've been lucky enough that I've been able to spend a lot of my career doing work in this state, in the mining country, and trying to end pollution and give people a chance to live healthier lives. I want to thank Governor Morrissey for his visionary leadership. I got to know Governor Morrissey early in the transition. We were both down in Palm Beach working on the transition in Mar-a-Lago, and we were both invited to stay during that time at Dr. Oz's house. And I said to Dr. Morris or Governor Morrissey, the first time I saw him, I said, "You look like you ate Governor Morrissey." And there was a lot of talk
Robert F. Kennedy Jr (28:00):
About getting healthy again, and I'm very happy that he's invited me to be his personal trainer. And I am going to put him on a really rigorous regiment. And we're going to put him on a carnivore diet. We're going to make him do … Raise your hand if you want Governor Morrisey to do a public weigh-in once a month. And then when he's lost 30 pounds I'm going to come back to the state and do a celebration and a public weigh-in with him. You're welcome, Denise.
Governor Morrisey (28:50):
That's a little more than I bargained for.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr (29:00):
You left me an open door.
(29:04)
Anyway, we have a public health crisis in this country, and unfortunately, West Virginia is leading the way. There's the highest obesity rate of any state in our country. This year you pulled ahead of Mississippi as the highest rate of chronic disease in the country. And so I'm very, very grateful to Governor Morrisey for his visionary leadership in getting West Virginia to lead the way in transitioning off of processed foods.
(29:38)
When my uncle was president, 3% of Americans had chronic disease. We spent zero on chronic disease in this country. Zero. There were no medications for it. Today we spend $1.3 trillion on chronic disease every year. It's about 90% of our healthcare budget. For most of my life, the Republicans and Democrats have been fighting about a healthcare plan, about treatment. Really a sick care plan. About how to treat all this illness. Should it be Obamacare? The Affordable Health Plan? Should it be public-private partnerships? Should it be a single payer? These are what the big battles that you read about on Capitol Hill. The real battle is that we're getting sicker and sicker every year, no matter … And it's really just a debate about who's going to pay the treatment. Nobody has been focused on how do we get ourselves less sick? And it's like moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. No matter what you do, our country is going to go bankrupt.
(30:55)
It's now … When I was a kid, diabetes rates in children were almost zero. Juvenile diabetes, a typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in his lifetime, over a 40 or 50 year career. Today, one out of every three kids who walks through his office door is pre-diabetic or diabetic. 38% of teens are now diabetic, 50% of adults. A few years ago … It's not a mystery about where this is coming from. 20 years ago, there was no diabetes in China. Today 50% of the population is diabetic. Why is that? They built 20,000 fast food joints in China and started selling American processed food.
(31:45)
And it is costing us. We are now paying more just for diabetes, mitochondrial dysfunction, than we are for our military. Financially, it is bankrupting our country. We're now spending more to service our debt. And the biggest piece of that debt is coming from healthcare. We're now paying more to service it than we are for our military budget. Within about 10 years. If we continue on this trajectory, 50 cents out of every tax dollar that you pay to the federal government is going to go to servicing the debt. Within 15 years, 100%. It's not sustainable, it's existential. If you love our country, you've got to take care of yourselves.
(32:37)
President Trump says that he wants to make America healthy again, but he wants to make it strong again. We cannot have a strong country if we have sick citizens. President Trump says that he wants to restore the American dream, but a person who is healthy has 1000 dreams. A person who is sick has only one. And there is 60% of our country now that has only one dream, which is to get better. And we need to give them a pathway to doing that. And the pathway is through food.
(33:15)
Food is medicine. It treats us in different ways, and it treats our health … It treats our mental health. There was a recent study that showed that when they switched the diet in prisons, that violence went down to a whole food diet, that violence went down by about 70%. When they switched the diet in juvenile detention centers to a whole food diet, violence went down 100%. There's a scientist at Harvard now who is curing schizophrenia with a carnivore diet. So the loneliness, the dispossession, the crisis that we have in mental health, in suicide, in ADHD, all of these are linked. And particularly to the dyes. It's very clear the dyes that Governor Morrisey is banning, all of them are linked in very, very strong studies to ADHD and to cancers. So we're seeing an explosion of cancers in this country. We're seeing an explosion in infertility. Teenagers today have 50% of the sperm count and 50% of the testosterone of 68-year-old men. Girls are now reaching puberty six years earlier than they're supposed to. Between 10 and 13 years old. Other countries are not experiencing this. We've seen autism rates go from one in 10,000 when I was a kid, one in 10,000, one in every 36 kids today. One in 22 boys in California. And the obesity rates have gone up to, as I said, 50% in adults, or 70% overall obesity or overweight from 3%. In Japan, it's still 3% because they're not eating these foods. They have nutrition programs and the foods where they have a nutritionist in every school who's in charge of the menu and they eat healthy foods so they don't have these illnesses.
(35:42)
When I was a kid, we were the healthiest, most robust people in the world. And today we're the sickest. 60% of Americans, from 3% when my uncle was president, 60% today have chronic disease, and it's not happening in other countries. During COVID, we had 16% of the COVID deaths in this country. We only have 4.2% of the world's population. So we literally did worse than any country in the world. And when you ask CDC, "Why are Americans dying from COVID at higher rates than any place on earth when we have all the money?" They said, "Well, it's not our fault. It's because Americans are so sick." That is their fault, and we're going to change that.
(36:34)
But they said that … According to CDC, the average American who died from COVID had 3.8 chronic diseases. So they had diabetes, they had obesity, and maybe asthma and one other thing. And it was the chronic disease, really, that was killing them. Healthy kids were not dying. Healthy Americans were not dying of COVID. It was a disease that attacked the sick. And that's true with all infectious diseases. If we can make ourselves, the biggest thing that we can do for pandemic preparedness is to make ourselves healthy again. We're now … 74% of American kids cannot qualify for military service because of chronic disease. So this is affecting our national security, it's destroying our economy, it is existential for this country, and we need to change it. And I am so happy that you have a visionary governor in this state and that West Virginia is now leading the way.
(37:57)
I want to commend Governor Morrissey not only for his vision, but for his courage. Because it's very, very hard, and for these legislators who are pushing this bill, all of them are getting calls every day from the big soda companies, the sugar soda and the fake food companies. We're not eating food. We're eating food-like substances. And I'll tell you what happened.
(38:22)
I was involved in the tobacco litigation back in the late 1980s, and the tobacco companies were at that time the cash richest companies in the world. But they saw the writing on the wall. They saw that the consumer base was turning against them. People were stopping smoking and that they were being prosecuted and sued successfully. So they settled those lawsuits, but they also started shifting their resources to diversify their companies. And they went out and they bought the food companies. So by 1994, the two biggest food companies in the world were RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris. Tobacco companies. They took about 10,000 scientists who were all engaged in various ways to make tobacco more addictive, and they put them to work making food addictive, inventing ingredients in the laboratory that would make it do things to food.
(39:26)
For example, they found out that food that … You fill up, your brain tells you your stomach is filled in part by counting the number of times you chew. So they started adding softeners to our food so that you wouldn't chew so much. So you'd have a sense that you're unsatisfied, that you're insatiable, that you're never full, so that you keep pouring it down your mouth. And that's just one of the many things they did.
(40:02)
They added sodium and sugar. Sugar is as addictive as crack, and it's almost as bad for you. It kills you just as surely, it just kills you a little slower. It feeds tumors, it destroys your body, it destroys your brain. And they added more and more sugar to make us addicted to their products. And these companies are now, just like the tobacco companies were, are flooding into the offices of your state leaders and legislators and the governor and they're telling him he's making a big mistake. They're telling him that they're going to stop writing checks. That they're going to run people against them. That they're going to destroy their political careers.
(40:45)
And Governor Morrisey was telling me that he met with the soda companies this week, and they said to him, "You need to be educated about this." And they said, "Food stamps is not a nutrition program." He came in with his Diet Coke and he said, "Is there anything nutritious in here?" And they were like, "No, of course not. But food stamps is not a nutrition program." And he said, "It's called SNAP, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program. It's supposed to be nutrition. It's not supposed to be food-like substances that are actually poisoning us."
(41:24)
But it takes a lot of courage to stand up to these companies the same way that it did to stand up to big tobacco. But these men and women, your leaders, Governor Morrisey, is standing up for you. And we all need to stand up for ourselves and take care of ourselves. It's an act of patriotism. If you love this country, you need to start taking care of yourselves. And I want to thank … I will also say this, that food companies all came and met with me two weeks ago, and they're
Robert F. Kennedy Jr (42:00):
…is scared of me, but they're more scared of Governor Morrisey, because what they said and the reason they said, "Well, tell us what you want and we're going to do it." And they said, "But stop these governors from passing these laws because we don't want a patchwork where West Virginia and California are banning food dyes, and we have to make special products for those states." So they're terrified of this, of what you're doing. And the message I want to give to the country today, and to all the other governors, is get in line behind Governor Morrisey and apply for a waiver to my agency, and we're going to give it to you, if that's the way we're going to win this.
(42:43)
I want to thank all of you. I want to thank the MAHA moms who got me into this office, and President Trump who has given me free rein to do anything I need to do to make America healthy again. And then I particularly want to thank Governor Morrisey and these legislators for their courage, for their vision, for their willingness to stand up to the most powerful industries in the world, to stand up for the people of West Virginia, and set an example, a shining example, of the rest of the country. Thank you all very much.
Patrick Morrisey (43:49):
I thought that was a wonderful speech, except for the darn weigh-in part. What is that all about?
(44:07)
I want to thank Secretary Kennedy for coming in. We're going to, just in a moment, I'm going to sign the letter of intent to ask for multiple SNAP waivers, but before I do, I want to give 30 seconds to just a minute to these amazing legislators who really have been dedicated to the cause. And so I want to start by recognizing Chairman Jason Barrett to come up, and also, his beautiful wife, Summer. Why don't you come right up?
Jason Barrett (44:43):
Well, Governor, thank you so much. Appreciate your leadership, and I want everyone in this auditorium here today to understand the job that Governor Morrisey is doing. He is incredibly hands-on. He is in the Capitol working hard every day for the people of West Virginia, and he deserves recognition for that.
(45:01)
Secretary Kennedy.
(45:07)
Secretary Kennedy, thank you so much for your leadership and inspiring a movement across this country. Our country is in debt for you for doing that. Thank you so much for doing that.
(45:21)
When Delegate Worrell and I had our initial conversation about a food dyes bill and what we could get done, I started to talk to some folks about that and getting some feedback. And the thing that I heard the most was, "Jason, you're going to have to deal with big food and big drink coming after you." And my response to big food and big drink is big deal.
(45:47)
And my colleagues and I, we took on this fight for one very simple reason. The people of West Virginia are worth it. And we're going to continue to do things in West Virginia to make West Virginians healthy again. I want to give a huge shout out to my wife who has educated me more on this issue than I can ever imagine. My favorite MAHA mom, Summer.
(46:16)
Thank you all so very much, and I can promise you, more great things are coming for West Virginia. Thank you.
Patrick Morrisey (46:26):
All right. I'd now like to recognize the individual on the Senate who helped shepherd this through, Chairwoman Chapman. Why don't you come on up? Good friend of mine. She's done a great job.
Laura Chapman (46:44):
Thank you very much. I want to give my sincere appreciation and thanks to Governor Morrisey, who is doing an amazing job and really has put us in the forefront on this issue. And I just want to thank you for your leadership. And also for Secretary Kennedy, who has put these issues into the mainstream media and into our lives. Without his leadership, most of us wouldn't even be able to know half of these issues.
(47:12)
We do have the worst health outcomes in America, and Delegate Worrell and I are working hard in our health committees to try to make our lives better. 27% of our citizens live in a food desert, and I just want everybody to realize, we're here for the children. You all are our future leaders. You're our future, and we need to make sure that we do a great job for you, so thank you very much. Thank you for being here and thank you for the invite.
Patrick Morrisey (47:44):
The individual who really was one of the key folks in the house driving this through, the chairman of our health committee, Evan Worrell.
Evan Worrell (47:58):
Well, thank you. What a great turnout. I want to thank the governor. He is working hard for you and has done a great job so far. We appreciate that, Mr. Governor. And, Secretary Kennedy, thank you so much for your visionary leadership. I remember texting you back in January and I said, "When the Secretary gets confirmed," because I knew you'd be confirmed, "We're going to make West Virginia healthy," and I talked to him about that.
(48:18)
But I'm a father of seven children with an eighth on the way. My wife is 34 weeks pregnant.
(48:25)
Yeah, thank you. But I owe sincere thankful to her. She's one of the original MAHA moms. She just educated me on this as well. Just like the senator said, she's taken these things out of our food at home, and she's led the charge here that led me to come here in the West Virginia legislature and do this. And so I promise to you, we're not done. As a House Health chairman in the West Virginia legislature, we're just getting started. I have a big four by eight sign in my office that says, "Make West Virginia healthy," and we intend to do so. Thank you again, Governor, and thank you, Secretary."
Patrick Morrisey (49:00):
And last, but certainly not least, chairman, delegate, Adam Burkhammer. Adam. Thank you.
Adam Burkhammer (49:10):
Again, thank you for the opportunity. I do want to again appreciate Governor Morrisey's leadership and standing with the legislator, Secretary Kennedy for his federal leadership.
(49:20)
But I do want to talk about my colleagues that we were able to get this done. And we did feel an immense pressure. They're in session today, still fighting some good battles, but we stood strong, and we're willing to stand strong for you because we truly do recognize that a strong and prosperous America, a strong and prosperous West Virginia, starts with the health of our communities and our families. And so we are just getting started, and we're willing to fight for you. And we believe in what we're doing right here in West Virginia. So, thank you. Thank you, Governor.
Patrick Morrisey (49:52):
Thank you.
(49:56)
All right. So now, we're going to move on to a real fun part of the program. I'm going to ask all these wonderful young men and women to come on up. And some folks, we're going to sign our letter of intent to ask for these waivers of SNAP. I'd love folks to come on up, including the legislators, please. Keep on coming. You can come up right next to me.
Speaker 1 (51:12):
There's more room.
Patrick Morrisey (51:21):
By the way, I think my voice can travel. Isn't it a wonderful and historic moment to have a Kennedy in West Virginia?
Speaker 1 (51:30):
That's right.
Patrick Morrisey (51:51):
And now, I will be signing the intent for the state of West Virginia to file multiple SNAP waivers as I described. All right. Well, I have some bad news for you. Time to go back to class. Hey, guys, I want to say thank you all for coming today. This has been a wonderful event, and this is just the beginning of a long journey for everyone in West Virginia. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Thanks again, Secretary Kennedy, our legislators, everyone, for being here. God bless. We'll see you soon.
