The United States government is seeking to counter an unexpected crisis caused by a shortage of infant formula, which has worsened in recent weeks.
Uncertainty surrounding the shortage of infant formula is affecting millions of American families. The shortage had been ongoing for months in the United States, but it worsened after Abbott Laboratories, the country's largest supplier of powdered milk, temporarily suspended production due to possible bacterial contamination following the deaths of two infants.
Meanwhile, as photos of empty supermarket shelves circulate on social media and frightened parents grapple with the ongoing shortage of baby formula in the country, some politicians are criticizing the Biden Administration, claiming it is prioritizing immigrant children detained at the border, where formula is readily available, over American families.
However, what critics fail to recognize is that the 1997 Flores Agreement requires border agents to provide food and water, among other things, to detained children, which may include infant formula. Failure to do so would constitute a violation of the law by the Biden administration.
Also, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on May 18 that Abbott Nutrition, the company at the center of the current infant formula shortage, could face criminal charges.
Aside from the measures being considered in the legislature, President Joe Biden has also sought to reach agreements that would allow more foreign imports of infant formula.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Abbott reached an agreement that would allow the Sturgis plant to reopen. However, the company has said that even when the plant reopens, it could take eight to ten weeks for infant formula to be restocked in supermarkets.
All solutions have surfaced, President Biden invokes the Defense Production Act to address the shortage of baby formula. The president resorted to a wartime law to ensure that powdered milk manufacturers have sufficient inputs to produce the product.
The announcement means the federal government will prioritize key ingredients for infant formula production and require suppliers to provide manufacturers with the necessary resources. Biden has also ordered the Department of Defense to use military aircraft to assist in importing formula from abroad.
This news report was compiled using information from Telemundo and The Epoch Times.