Boston Herald

The fight isn’t just over baby formula

- By Matt Mowers Matt Mowers served as Senior White House Advisor in the U.S. Department of State in the Trump administra­tion and was the 2020 Republican Nominee in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressio­nal District.

One of the most rewarding aspects of running for Congress is being able to travel across the district to meet with and hear the stories of Granite Staters from so many different walks of life. As anyone running for office will tell you, however, being on the road crisscross­ing the district is especially hard on your family. This is particular­ly true when have an adventurou­s 10-month-old son at home.

Like many young families, we’ve been dealing with the record inflation and supply chain crisis the best we can, but there’s one problem that’s far more frightenin­g than the rest: Over 40% of baby formula is out of stock in more than 11,000 stores across the country, and the problem is only going to get worse.

These days, I meet voters by day and hunt for formula by night. My resourcefu­l wife will text me a few stores to try wherever I am, and we both hold our breath hoping just one will have inventory. If you’re lucky enough, a friend on Facebook might give you a heads up about a Market Basket getting a new shipment or that CVS still has 1-2 packages of your particular formula. There’s no worse feeling as a parent than realizing that you might not be able to provide your child with whatever they need. We’ve tried different brands of formula only to have him throw it right back up again. So, when I walk into the second, even third store of the night only to be greeted by rows of empty shelves, that pit in my stomach grows.

Stores like CVS and Walgreens are now limiting customers to three-item limits because of supply challenges. Families are purchasing formula from strangers in different states and prices are skyrocketi­ng to $120 a can. Women, faced with massive grocery bills, are actually eating less to feed their kids. Yet, through it all, the Biden administra­tion hasn’t done a thing to help families.

Their crusade against working families started the moment they took office, passing partisan legislatio­n that paid people to stay home, provided a $350 billion bailout to blue states that mismanaged their money, and sent stimulus checks to prisoners. This legislatio­n, and their anti-business policies, have made life more difficult for truck drivers, port workers, and other personnel who are essential to a functionin­g supply chain.

In November, we must elect leaders who will hold the Biden administra­tion accountabl­e — who will put American families first and push back against the radical left’s agenda that is putting America Last.

In November, I look forward to being a part of a new Congress that will fire Nancy Pelosi and stand up for the middleclas­s families like mine in New Hampshire.

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