Rep. Sydney Jordan celebrates Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s work on the MEALS Act
MINNEAPOLIS—Today, Minnesota State Representative Sydney Jordan published an op-ed that praises Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s commitment to feeding children. The Congresswoman’s MEALS Act, which fed 30 million children, was the result of years of work that the Congresswoman first started when she was in the Minnesota state legislature. Rep. Jordan led the charge here in Minnesota to fund Universal School Meals in every Minnesota Public School.
In her letter, which you can also view on Medium, Rep. Jordan said,
“As the Chief Author of Minnesota’s Universal School Meals program, I hear from families and educators across our state about what a difference it has made in education when every child has free breakfast and lunch at school. I am heartened to serve in a state that understands children cannot learn on an empty stomach, and to serve with a legislature that dared to answer the call and pass legislation to guarantee free meals to every child in Minnesota.
Passing this legislation wasn’t easy and took many years to become a reality for Minnesota children. When Congresswoman Ilhan Omar served in the Minnesota House of Representatives, she led this fight. Congresswoman Omar knows firsthand what it is like to learn on an empty stomach. She used her personal experience to turn that into a policy demand. Because of this advocacy, families across our state are secure in knowing their children will be fed breakfast and lunch every day at school.
While all Minnesota school children can count on being fed, the job isn’t done. I am proud to support Congresswoman Omar because she hears our needs and takes them directly to Washington, authoring the Universal School Meals Act on the federal level. I support Ilhan because she passed the monumental MEALS Act during the pandemic that fed nearly 30 million kids across the country. No other candidate in this race is committed to strengthening public education and making sure our students succeed. Without Ilhan’s leadership, Minnesota’s model of feeding all children will not become a reality for all Americans. Cast your vote for Ilhan Omar in the DFL primary by August 13th and feed the kids.”