Rep. Farr will offer amendment to remove GOP school lunch provision

Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) will offer an amendment on Thursday to stop the House GOP attempt to allow schools to opt out of Obama administration nutrition standards.

Farr, the ranking member on the agriculture appropriations subcommittee, will present the amendment at the full House Appropriations Committee meeting where the bill containing the waiver language is contained.

{mosads}The provision in the base bill would force the USDA to grant waivers to schools that can show they have operated at a net loss for six months. 

Supporters say some school districts need more time to cope with the requirement that they serve more healthy meals to students participating in the National School Lunch Program.

First lady Michelle Obama is leading the fight against the GOP provision and warned Tuesday that the waiver is too broad and will be used to rollback the nutrition standard across the country. 

Farr will also highlight a letter from past presidents of the School Nutrition Association opposing the waiver. The current leadership members of the SNA, which has powerful food industry patrons, are supporting the waiver language.