Nearly all House Republicans voted against a bill to provide funding to address the baby food shortage and prevent future such crises despite the GOP’s complaints over the past weeks about the White House’s approach to the issue.
The Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act. passed the HouseWednesday’s vote of 231 to 192 would have provided $28 million in emergency funds for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to help alleviate the current shortage and prevent future one. All 192 “no” votes came from Republicans, with only 12 members of the party voting with Democrats to pass the bill. Rosa DeLauro (D.Connecticut), House Appropriations chair, stated that the funds are needed to address the problem.
“This bill takes important steps to restore supply in a safe and secure manner. Additionally, with these funds, FDA will be able to help to prevent this issue from occurring again,” DeLauro said in a statement. “While we know we have more work to do to get to the bottom of serious safety concerns at an Abbott facility and the FDA’s failure to address them with any sense of urgency, this bill is the first step to help restock shelves and end this shortage.”
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D – New York) will quickly bring the legislation to the Senate. said, adding that “We hope no one will block it. It is such an immediate need.”
The House also passed a billWednesday’s vote would allow for an expansion of the range of baby formula available to those who are eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Infants and Children (or WIC), which provides financial assistance to low-income families. This proposal was opposed by only nine Republicans, all of whom are extremist right-wing lawmakers.
Republicans opposed to the FDA funding claim that it wouldn’t address the shortage and that it politicizes the issue. The bill “does nothing – I repeat, nothing – to put more formula on store shelves or hold Biden’s FDA accountable for ignoring this crisis,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican from Pennsylvania, spoke on the House’s floor prior to the vote.
The FDA has been under scrutiny for its delays in investigating A major recall that contributed to the crisis — but commissioner Robert Califf says that the FDA’s shortcomings in the crisis are largely due to a lack of funding and resources. DeLauro also stressed the importance of build up the FDA’s infrastructureThis is necessary to solve the problem. “FDA does not have the adequate inspection force to be able to do that and to do it in a timely way,” she said.
Republicans have not offered any other response to the problem than criticism, despite their complaints. They have spent the last weeksCriticizing the Biden administration as the source of the problem WageringUnverified reports that baby food was offered in facilities at the southern border were criticized as racist and xenophobic. GOP lawmakers also held a press conferenceWhile criticizing Biden for his actions, he offers few solutions.
Biden has faced many challenges. legitimate criticism for not acting to address the shortage sooner, Republicans’ dismissal of steps taken by Democrats boost supply shows, perhaps, their drive to politicize the issue. Their own party may be able to help. be partially at faultThis issue is imposed by a trade deal that President Donald Trump approved during his last year in Congress high tariffs and fees on baby formula imports — mechanisms that were enough to lead the U.S. to import zero tons of baby formula from Canada in 2021.
Progressive lawmakers suggested that the monopolization of baby food markets may also be to blame. This week, a letter. Four companiesWith nearly 90% of the U.S. Baby Food Market, they control Abbott NutritionAbout 20 percent of the formula products were recalled by, which recently did a large recall.
Supply chain issues also factor intoDemocrat lawmakers are responding to the current shortages also scrutinizingAbbott is responsible for causing shortages by his financial activities and safety violations.
On Wednesday, the president invokedThe Defense Production Act was created to increase domestic manufacturing and supply. Biden also directed his government to use commercial aircraft for the transportation of FDA-approved formula from abroad to speed up formula imports.
