White House invokes Defense Production Act to address baby formula shortage
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - The White House has made a major move to try to find a solution to the baby formula shortage currently afflicting the country.
President Joe Biden is now using the full power of the federal government - the Biden Administration is formulating a solution to get that desperately-needed formula in the hands of parents, invoking the Defense Production Act.
"The Defense Production Act gives the government the ability to require suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good," President Biden said.
In addition to giving formula-makers priority to the ingredients needed, he also unveiled "Operation Fly Formula."
"I've directed the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services to send aircraft planes overseas to pick up infant formula that meets US health and safety standards, so we can get it onto store shelves faster," the president added.
The shortage began in February with a recall from the manufacturer Abbott. The company closed its largest factory after multiple babies got sick after consuming their formula.
These actions taken by the White House came as lawmakers in Congress looked for other ways to alleviate the shortage.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a pair of bills - one to make it easier for low-income families to obtain formula through the federal WIC program and the other to provide additional funding to the Food & Drug Administration to address the crisis and find ways to prevent another from happening.
Also, a website has been set up to provide parents with resources - which you can find at this link.