Boehner to NYC Mayor Bloomberg: 'Are you kidding me' on Big Gulp ban?

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is no fan of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to ban large, sugary drinks in New York City.

“I like Mayor Bloomberg, but are you kidding me?” Boehner said at a Friday news conference when asked about Bloomberg’s plan. “C’mon, don’t we have bigger issues to deal with than the size of some soft drink that somebody buys?”

Bloomberg announced the proposal this week as his latest public health initiative to combat obesity. It would prohibit restaurants, movie theaters and other vendors from selling sweetened beverages in containers larger than 16 ounces, with some exceptions.

On Thursday, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other conservatives criticized the plan as an example of “nanny-state” governance.

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