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President Biden and lawmakers from both parties are struggling to cope with the growing lack of baby formula in many stores, which makes it difficult for some parents to feed their young children.
On Thursday, Biden received an update from retailers and manufacturers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Reckitt and Gerber. Administration officials then announced they would cut red tape in hopes of getting more formula in stores faster, called on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to deal with rising formula prices and increase imports of formula to increase domestic supply.
“We recognize that this is certainly a challenge for people across the country, something the president is very focused on, and we will do everything we can to cut red tape and take steps to increase supply,” said White House spokeswoman Jen. Psaki said on Thursday.
Some Republicans in the House of Representatives have argued that lawmakers should redirect funding to Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion and invest some of that money to find solutions to the shortage caused by the massive withdrawal of formula after reports. that four babies in three states have contracted bacterial infections. They also accused the Biden administration of prioritizing the provision of formula to migrant mothers arriving at the southern border after images of stored shelves and baby formula pallets were taken by border agents at processing centers.
Democrats in the House of Representatives, meanwhile, have scheduled several hearings this month to pressure Food and Drug Administration officials on the incident and plan to announce legislation that they say could soon help restore the formula on store shelves.
“Why such a shortage?” What happened? What did the FDA do or not do? And what is the supply chain deal? ”House Majority Leader Steni H. Hoyer (D-Md.) Said Wednesday what Democrats hope to learn during the hearings.
Shortages are just the latest example of the challenges Democrats face in the run-up to the midterm elections, as rising prices and supply chain problems continue to be monitored. Republicans hope to take advantage of the Democrats’ portrayal as a non-ruling party to win over voters, especially moderates who are under financial pressure.
The supply chain problems that remain after the pandemic and the February withdrawal from Abbott Nutrition are questionable, forcing many stores to allocate how much formula one person can buy at a time. According to a report by the Datasembly Retail Information Group, the number of exhausted baby formulas nationwide was 43 percent at the end of last week, an increase of more than 10 percent from the same point last month.
This is extremely important compared to the depletion data from earlier this year, when the number varied between 2 and 8 percent.
Approximately half of infant food is purchased by about 1.2 million people using a federal support program known as the Special Program for Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Biden administration said at a briefing Thursday. The Ministry of Agriculture is now encouraging countries to allow recipients to use their benefits for a wider range of formulated products, and calls on countries to ease the requirements for shops participating in the WIC program.
In response to reports of rising formula prices, the Justice Department is also working with attorneys general to monitor them for rising formula prices, and Biden also asked the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday to investigate price reports. carving.
The administration is also working to increase imports of formula – the United States produces 98 percent of the supply of formula, according to the administration – probably from countries such as Chile, Ireland, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, Psaki said Biden had been informed of a lack of formula before this week, and she also stressed that the administration understood the scale of the crisis.
“Our message to parents,” she added, “is that we hear you. We want to do everything we can, and we will cut every element of bureaucracy to help. “
However, Psaki and other senior officials were unable to specify a specific date when parents should expect the formula to return to the shelves.
Republicans portrayed the administration as callous, waiting for the shortage to become insolvent to finally overcome it. Republicans took advantage of Air Force One briefing by new White House spokeswoman Carin Jean-Pierre, where she admitted she did not know who in the administration was responsible for finding a solution to the awkward laughter.
“We heard laughter yesterday. This is laughter in the faces of mothers and fathers across the country. There is a reason the Republican Party is the Parents’ Party. It’s not just about education, it’s about advocating for families across the country, “said GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanick (RN.Y.).
Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives have fueled the issue since returning to Washington this week, with senators from more conservative Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) To moderator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) sending letters to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Calif. with a request for answers.
Trump’s staunchest supporters came to the House of Representatives on Tuesday to ask fellow lawmakers to give priority to helping American families over Ukrainians. Their “America first” argument has grown after Kat Kamak’s spokeswoman (R-Fla.) Said in live Facebook videos that the administration was “sending baby formula pallets to the border” after receiving photos from a border agent. working at the Ursula Processing Plant in McAllen, Texas.
“Food security is national security, and we currently have a food security crisis for the most vulnerable Americans, those we value most, and that is our babies,” Republican Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) Said Thursday. . .
Democrats responded quickly to the growing attacks, citing spokeswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), Who first raised the issue in March and received a complaint from an Abbott whistleblower alleging that withdrawing the formula could be prevented if the company had not falsified test seal entries and released an untested formula, as well as its careless clean workplace procedures. The formula led to four hospitalizations and two infant deaths between September and February.
“The reason we’re here is that the FDA has taken steps to ensure that babies adopt a safe formula,” Psaki said, noting a protective note. “There were babies who died from taking this formula, so they did their job.
DeLauro plans to question the FDA administrator next week as he testifies before the House Budget Committee. A subcommittee on energy and trade will also investigate, starting with a hearing in two weeks.
“We make sure this never happens again, and that’s important. But right now the baby is crying, the baby is hungry – we need to deal with this now, “said spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California) during her weekly press conference on Thursday. She also expects the legislation to be introduced by DeLauro in the coming days.
Republicans have asked her to pass legislation introduced Wednesday by freshmen Stephanie I. Bays (Oklahoma) and Randy Finstra (Iowa), which will force the FDA to brief Congress on its standards for regulating and enforcing local baby food. to imports. The United States does not currently import infant formula.
“Too often, Republicans are called progenitors or are told we care about children before they become both,” Bays said. “It’s just not true. In fact, it is important that we continue to support and advocate for policies that help Americans from birth to life. “
Mike Debonis contributed to this report.
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