On Wednesday, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley applauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s decision to extend school meal waivers through the end of the current school year.
A release said the department’s decision follows a pressure campaign by Merkley and his colleagues, which included multiple letters to the USDA urging the department to give schools the flexibility they need to fully serve students whether are not they are attending school in person.
Merkley said the news comes as some of the largest school district in Oregon announced that they will continue with full-time, online only instruction through at least February. As of now, that includes Portland Public Schools, the Salem-Keizer School District and the Beaverton School District.
Merkley said, “In the richest country in the world, every child should be going to bed each night with a full belly”. Merkley is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds the USDA.
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