WASHINGTON DC (April 4, 2025) — US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and US Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke L Rollins Thursday collaborated on their first Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event during a visit to Ferdinand T Day Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, where they participated in a healthy snack time with students and met facility staff. The event was an opportunity to learn more about the impact that federally-funded nutrition programs have on children and signaled their strong partnership to work together to effectuate their vision for a healthier America.
“Sec Kennedy and I have a unique once in a generation opportunity to better align our vision on nutrition related programs to ensure we are working together to advance President Trump’s vision to make our kids, our families, and our communities healthy again,” said Sec Rollins. “Our farmers, ranchers, and producers dedicate their lives to growing the safest most abundant food supply in the world and we need to make sure our kids and families are consuming the healthiest food we produce. There is a chronic health problem in our country, and American agriculture is at the core of the solution.”
“Sec Rollins and I are committed to working together to fulfill President Trump’s mandate to Make America Healthy Again,” Sec Kennedy said. “Thanks to leaders like Virginia Governor Youngkin, the MAHA agenda is gaining momentum. I urge every governor to champion legislation that bans ultra-processed foods and dyes in public schools, and submit a waiver to the USDA to remove soda from SNAP. Sec Rollins and I look forward to celebrating these achievements with Governors at the White House this summer.”
At the direction of President Trump, USDA and HHS are ensuring programs work harder to encourage healthy eating and lifestyle habits. As part of the MAHA Commission led by Sec Kennedy, this work will not only research and report the many reasons children face unbelievable rates of diet-related disease like obesity and diabetes, but how government can implement change through things like revised dietary policy, state innovation, and less regulation.
This is the first of many collaborations between leaders at HHS and USDA to change the course of public health in the US.
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