House Dems want $28M for formula

WASHINGTON – House Democrats unveiled a $28 million emergency spending bill Tuesday to address the shortage of infant formula in the United States.

Rep. Rosa Delauro, the Democratic chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the bill would help the Food and Drug Administration take important steps to restore the formula supply in a safe and secure manner.

The funding would increase FDA staffing focused on the formula shortage to boost inspections, prevent fraudulent products from getting onto store shelves and acquire better data on the marketplace, lawmakers said.

The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott Nutrition that exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. Delauro has also been critical of the FDA for a failure to address “with any sense of urgency” the safety concerns at Abbott’s plant in Michigan that prompted the shortage.

“The stories of mothers and fathers struggling to find formula and the images of empty store shelves are heartbreaking,” Delauro said. “Parents and caretakers across the country cannot wait. They need our support now.”

Abbott is one of only a handful of companies that produce the majority of the U.S. formula supply, so its recall wiped out a large segment of the market. Federal regulators reached a deal this week to allow the company to restart the Michigan plant, but Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks before products begin arriving in stores.