(Portland, OR)  --  U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon is calling for a ban on middle seats on planes after sitting shoulder to shoulder on a packed flight.  Merkley tweeted a selfie showing no social distancing as he flew home on American Airlines.  He said it was a high-risk situation with passengers "breathing inches from your own nose and mouth" and taking off their mask to eat or drink.  He plans to introduce a bill to block middle seats from being sold during the pandemic.