Amata urges Biden admin to 'Buy American' tuna for school lunches

Tuna that is canned in American Samoa is American made


Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is urging the federal government to uphold the important Buy American policy when purchasing tuna. Tuna that is canned in American Samoa is American made, and Amata urged the Biden Administration not to make an exception to the U.S. government’s Buy American policy when purchasing tuna for the National School Lunch Program.

Amata’s letter to Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long, dated December 17th, was copied to the White House Made in America Office Director, and the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.

“Last fall, then-candidate Joe Biden’s campaign stated: ‘Biden starts with a pretty basic idea – when we spend taxpayer money, we should buy American products and support American jobs.’ I cannot agree more,” states Congresswoman Amata in the letter. “That is why, when it comes to food purchases for the School Lunch Program, USDA guidance related to Buy American requirements should be strengthened by eliminating the vague, and inconsistently applied ‘significantly higher’ cost exception – an exception that has been used as an excuse to spend American tax dollars to buy foreign-produced, subsidized tuna.”

President Biden has signed the Executive Order on Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers. That Order called for a review of all agency waiver procedures of Buy American requirements, which in turn led to a Request for Information by the Food and Nutrition Service of USDA on Buy American in the National School Lunch Program.

Read more: https://www.samoanews.com/local-news/amata-urges-biden-admin-buy-american-tuna-school-lunches