A lobbyist for the American Heart Association turned heads last week when he asked Texas Republicans not to exclude soda, ultra-processed deserts, and candy from the list of items that can be bought with food stamps, despite the fact that the medical group has for years warned that such foods cause heart disease.
The testimony seemingly prioritized a left-wing opposition to welfare reform over its own mission and expertise — similar to scientists who said during COVID that mass gatherings were dangerous unless they were Black Lives Matter rallies, contributing to a dramatic loss of trust in medical experts. The testimony by Alec Puente, director of government relations for AHA, was so surprising that State Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst (R), chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services, repeatedly wondered if AHA could truly be taking the position.
“I often say I can never be surprised in this building, but for the American Heart Association to be against this bill, that might be the surprise of the session so far,” Sen. Kolkhorst said. “I would encourage you to look at what it restricts. I don’t know if y’all’s board voted on that.”
But now, AHA has retracted the testimony, with spokesman Steve Weiss telling The Daily Wire that, “The Association’s position on Texas Senate Bill 379 was miscommunicated during the TX Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing last week. The Association is not opposed to the bill, which would restrict purchases of sugary drinks and certain other unhealthy foods within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).”
“The miscommunication at the hearing from our representative, who is based in Texas, was unfortunate. We have corrected the record and worked to ensure this will not happen again,” Weiss said via email. “The Association remains committed to increasing the consumption of healthy food and decreasing the consumption of sugary drinks across our mission-critical work in scientific research, public policy and public awareness.” […]
— Read More: www.dailywire.com
