Baby Formula Shortage Crisis

Throughout Biden’s first term in office, we have seen slow responses and out of touch policies that have created numerous crises. Prices of fuel have hit all-time highs, inflation is at the highest it’s been in 40 years, and fentanyl is pouring across our open border. Now we are facing a new crisis: bare shelves, and an alarming shortage of infant formula.

This week, 43% of the nation’s baby formula is out of stock. As a mother, I can deeply understand the fear and anxiety that this shortage is having on American families, since roughly 67% of babies are fed partially through formula by three months old, including my own. 

In response to this urgent crisis, I introduced the Formula Act with my friend Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA). This legislation would direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish and communicate to Congress clear standards by which it domestically regulates infant formula.  These standards would in turn be applied to foreign infant formula to allow safe formula imports and support domestic manufacturers in times of shortages.

Currently, the United States does not import foreign infant formula because the FDA does not have interchangeable standards in place to regulate foreign formula to ensure it complies with U.S. health code and regulations. By codifying standard regulations for infant formula, this legislation would allow America to safely import foreign infant formula to complement domestic production, particularly during times of severe shortage like American families are now facing.

Even though House Republicans have been warning President Biden about the potential of this shortage for months, I am glad he is finally acting and using Republican solutions. His proposal to allow formula from outside the U.S. to be safely imported to increase supply mirrors Rep. Feenstra and my bill and will hopefully alleviate this dire situation as quickly as possible.

As a strong pro-life believer, I will always strongly advocate for policies that help humans from birth through natural death. It is vital that we provide support for Oklahoman families. We must ensure store shelves are fully restocked with formula to feed America’s babies. This is a distressing problem, and I am committed to finding solutions.