According to reports President Joe Biden has officially directed his administration to take whatever steps necessary to ensure that there is enough baby formula available for mothers who need it.
Biden invoked the Defense Production Act (PDA) which will require suppliers to “direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good. Directing firms to prioritize and allocate the production of key infant formula inputs will help increase production and speed up in supply chains.”
Breaking 911 reports that Biden also launched “Operation Fly Formula” to speed up the import of formula as well.
President Biden has directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use Department of Defense (DOD) commercial aircraft to pick up overseas infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards, so it can get to store shelves faster. DOD will use its contracts with commercial air cargo lines, as it did to move materials during the early months of the COVID pandemic, to transport products from manufacturing facilities abroad that have met Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety standards. Bypassing regular air freighting routes will speed up the importation and distribution of formula and serve as an immediate support as manufacturers continue to ramp up production.
My only questions are: what caused a formula shortage under Biden in the first place, and why is he just now doing something about it.