releases: https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/usda-extends-school-meal-program-flexibilities-following-bipartisan-push-led-senator
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/usda-extends-school-meal-program-flexibilities-following-bipartisan-push-led-senator | USDA Extends School Meal Program Flexibilities Following Bipartisan Push Led by Senator Collins | 2020-09-02 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Republican | House | ME | Susan Collins | C001035 | www.collins.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded theU.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)decision this week toextendchild nutritionprogram flexibilities,including access to free meals,through the end of December, regardless of whether in-school learning is available.Senator Collins called for this extension earlier this month. I applaud the USDA's decision to extendseveralcriticalwaiversthrough the end of December for studentsin Maine and throughout the country,said Senator Collins. This important extension will ensure children continue to have access tofree meals, regardless ofwhether they are learning in the classroom or virtually. Last month, Senator Collins, along with 19 of her colleagues,sent a letterto USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to continue utilizing existing flexibilities that have allowed students to access much needed schoolmealsthroughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Additionally, Senators Collins and Maggie Hassan (D-NH)led a letterthat was signed by 34 of their colleaguesin urging theUSDAto continuetheseflexibilitiesthroughout the 2020-2021 school year. In March, all four members of Maine's Congressional DelegationwroteUSDAin support ofprovidingflexibility around eligibility for free meals that wascritical to maintaining children's access tonutritious foodswhen schools closed last spring.In July, the Delegationwrote USDA Secretary Perdueagain to express their full support for a request by the Maine Department of Education for a waiver extension, which was successfully extended through the end of the summer. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |