WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative David Schweikert (AZ-01) penned an op-ed for USA Today to explain that America’s declining health, particularly obesity, is not only shortening lives but also placing a massive financial strain on the nation, with projected health care costs reaching up to $9.1 trillion over the next decade. Schweikert criticizes government policies that incentivize unhealthy living and economic inactivity, further exacerbating the crisis. Schweikert endorses Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services, believing he has the vision and mathematical understanding to reform the system and prioritize public health. He concludes that improving Americans’ health is crucial for reducing national debt and ensuring a better future for coming generations.

RFK Jr. gets it. Our unhealthy lifestyles are killing us and driving up debt. | Opinion
By Congressman David Schweikert
USA Today
January 30, 2025

Last year, my economists at the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee told an uncomfortable truth: Our poor health is not only killing Americans, but our nation’s finances as well.

We wrote a detailed report that included the effects obesity can have on our national debt and how we can make America healthier and reduce health care costs. We spent months analyzing the data, ultimately concluding that Americans’ deteriorating health, which is a major driver of federal spending, points to the way many industries work to maintain the misery of Americans.

The U.S. fertility rate reached an all-time low in 2023, at 1.62 per woman. Americans realized the future looked bleak for later generations, and we stopped having kids.

We also recently crossed into the fifth year in a row where prime working-age males are dying younger.

But why are we dying? You hear talk about the opioid epidemic − which, of course, remains a major contributing factor − but obesity is the primary contributor to premature deaths, and the costs to America are immense.

Obesity is killing Americans and driving up health care costs

The Joint Economic Committee’s report estimated the excess health care costs of obesity to this country will range from $8.2 trillion to $9.1 trillion over the next 10 years.Something incredibly immoral is happening in our country, and we must face the hard truth that it is being driven, in part, by our own government policies. We have incentivized leaving the workforce. We finance unhealthy living.

Shockingly, America does a number of things that have devalued the importance of being alive and being healthy.

But there is hope.

As our next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can restructure the way we operate our health care system in America.

I would argue that Congress has essentially become a protection racket; we protect incumbent bureaucracies. We protect incumbent business models.

RFK Jr. has a rare quality among public officials today – he embraces math. 

RFK Jr. understands improving Americans’ health is essential

RFK Jr. understands that 60% of American adults have at least one chronic condition. He wants to remedy the up to $11 trillion loss to our GDP over a decade that comes from chronic diseases.

And most of all, he wants to make America healthy again.

Maybe the most powerful thing we can do to keep from burying our grandchildren and great-grandchildren in piles of debt would be to work on policies that will make us a healthier country.

Under the leadership of RFK Jr., we have a real chance to accomplish that.

It’s time to change the standard in this country from “maintaining America’s misery” to “keeping America healthy.”

RFK Jr. deserves both our support and encouragement to lead the charge.

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Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., is the chairman-designate of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee.

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