President Joe Biden will use the Defense Production Act, according to the White House, in order to address the mounting infant formula shortfall.
Just now, President Biden announced two additional actions – invoking the Defense Production Act and launching Operation Fly Formula – to speed up the import of infant formula and get more formula to stores as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/4Ss9H2T7BO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 18, 2022
President Biden is using the Defense Production Act to assure that producers have the ingredients they need to make safe, healthy baby formula here at home (DPA).The President is forcing suppliers to prioritize baby formula producers over any other client who may have placed an order for that product.Directing companies to prioritize and allocate the manufacture of critical baby formula ingredients will assist supply chains improve output and speed up, as per the White House’ statement.
JEN PSAKI, May 13: "The production of baby formula is so specialized and so specific that you can't just use the Defense Production Act."
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 18, 2022
"It just doesn't work that way." pic.twitter.com/M45xKFWL8v
President Biden has asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite the import of baby formula and get more formula into shops as quickly as feasible. Department of Agriculture (USDA) commercial aircraft will be used to pick up international baby formula that fulfills US health and safety regulations, allowing it to reach store shelves sooner.
DOD will employ its contracts with commercial air freight lines to carry supplies from manufacturing facilities abroad that have satisfied Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety criteria, much as it did during the early months of the COVID epidemic.Circumventing traditional air freighting lines, formulas will be imported and distributed faster, providing instant help as businesses scale up output.
Last Monday, departing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the Defense Production Act will not help with the present infant formula shortage.
After not saying ONE WORD about the baby formula shortage previously, Joe Biden says he'll finally answer a question on the issue because "all of a sudden it's on the front page of every newspaper" pic.twitter.com/B9D1JesZ8u
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 13, 2022
As a result of the scarcity, a number newborn babies have been admitted to hospitals. That is certainly not the case, given the response time.
