Biden invokes war tool to boost baby formula production

US previously tapped the same 1950 law in the early days of Covid pandemic

President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defence Production Act to address a nationwide shortage in baby formula, marking a major attempt to ramp up domestic manufacturing rapidly as parents are scrambling and store shelves are running bare.

The White House said the directive requires the suppliers of key formula ingredients to prioritise the delivery of those resources to formula producers, adding that the administration would simultaneously launch a new operation to ensure faster flights of imports using Defence Department air cargo contacts.

The moves reflected the magnitude of the current shortage, which has seen some parents driving for miles on end to locate formula, including speciality products that are critical to infants’ health.

The US government previously tapped the same 1950 law in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to ensure the speedy production of key equipment as the crisis worsened.

Meanwhile, head of the Food and Drug Administration faces congressional lawmakers for the first time over the shortage of baby formula.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf’s appearance before a House subcommittee comes just hours after Biden announced a stepped-up response to the issue: invoking the Defence Production Act to speed domestic manufacturing and authorising flights to import formula from overseas.

Members of a House Appropriations subcommittee have signalled that they will ask Califf why the FDA didn’t act sooner to help head off the supply challenges. Lawmakers have also suggested the FDA missed opportunities to catch the problems at Abbott’s plant as early as last fall.