On Wednesday night, Congresswoman Hinson offered a proposal that would help restock formula immediately, require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide American families with a clear plan to restock formula and prevent future shortages, and require an accounting of excess stocks of formula at federal agencies that could go to American households.
Additionally, Congresswoman Hinson supported bipartisan legislation that requires increased flexibility for families that rely on Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to access baby formula during shortages.
Remarks as Delivered
“Families across this country are desperate for help. Babies are going hungry. Mothers and fathers are faced with empty shelves. And there is no formula to be found. As a mother, this is heartbreaking. As a Congresswoman, this is unacceptable. That is why I will be offering a motion to recommit this bill in a few moments.
“According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 67 percent of children “rely on infant formula for some portion of their nutrition” by the time they are three months old. That’s 2.7 million babies that need formula their parents cannot find on the shelves in their local supermarket – or anywhere for that matter.
“We need to address this supply chain crisis right now. Families deserve solutions. The Biden Administration ignored the warning signs that a formula shortage was imminent, sitting on their hands until shelves were bare. Their incompetence underscores the need for funding to come with guardrails and accountability for the FDA’s failures. Throwing additional money at a problem is the wrong approach. American families need a plan to fix this crisis and get baby formula back on the shelves. And they don’t need us spending more of their hard-earned money to do it.
“My amendment would redirect a targeted amount of unused pandemic funds to address the baby formula shortage. It would use $5.75 million of existing federal funds to respond to the crisis immediately. My amendment would also require the FDA to report to Congress on the shortage, ensuring the American people know exactly what the Administration is doing—or not doing—to get formula back on the shelves. We would also immediately require an assessment of all baby formula stockpiled by the federal government – can this formula be redirected to the marketplace for families? Right now? This amendment ensures the FDA Commissioner can’t travel anywhere, unrelated to the baby formula crisis, until it is addressed.
“We have seen the impact this baby formula crisis is having across the country – the mom whose baby can only tolerate a certain kind of formula, the dad who is scouring Facebook groups to see if he can find what his baby needs, the grandparents who have gone to three grocery stores and are still empty handed. We have an opportunity here to work together and enact meaningful legislation that will get baby formula back on the shelves as soon as possible and ensure families aren’t left in the lurch again.
“I ask my colleagues to join me in fighting for families, for babies, and for taxpayers.
Vote yes on the motion to recommit, adopt my amendment, and get this crisis under control.”
