Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that the organization’s mission is to “make America healthy again by curbing the influence of major food and pharmaceutical companies and elevating community health leaders.” This statement was made on X.
“The MISSION: MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” said Cortes. “Take back power from Big Food and Big Pharma! See the inspiring health leaders that we interviewed, all in Virginia. Doctors, farmers, and moms…all bonding over the renewal of health across our land!”
The influence of major food and pharmaceutical companies on U.S. health policy has drawn increasing scrutiny as lobbying expenditures rise and nutrition-based healthcare reforms gain traction. According to The Washington Post, health-sector entities spent over $429 million lobbying in the first half of 2025 while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a “Food Is Medicine” initiative. Virginia-based public health groups have echoed this push, holding statewide Food-Is-Medicine summits to integrate nutrition into chronic disease care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the adult obesity rate in the U.S. reached approximately 40% from 2021–2023, while diabetes prevalence rose to 15.8% (11.3% diagnosed and 4.5% undiagnosed). These CDC findings underscore ongoing increases in diet-related illnesses that continue to drive healthcare costs and policy reforms across multiple states.
National health expenditure data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show U.S. prescription drug spending rose 11.4% to $449.7 billion in 2023, marking the fastest growth among major health categories since 2020. Meanwhile, CDC dietary data indicate that ultra-processed foods account for about 55% of adult and 62% of youth daily calorie intake, linking food consumption patterns to rising chronic disease and medical costs.
Cortes is also a senior political advisor to CatholicVote, a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, and a commentator for Fox News and CNN. He regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
The League of American Workers, founded by Cortes in 2022, promotes “pro-worker patriotic populism” focused on issues such as immigration, trade, and domestic manufacturing. The organization’s materials emphasize labor empowerment and U.S. economic independence, with Cortes serving as its primary spokesperson and policy advocate according to its official website.
