Manning Takes Action to Address Infant Formula Shortage

Press Release

Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) voted to pass legislation to address the baby formula shortage and get baby formula to families in North Carolina and across the country.

"As a mother of three, my heart breaks for the parents who are struggling to find formula so they can feed their children. It is crucial that we get baby formula on the shelves immediately," said Congresswoman Manning. "By empowering the federal government to address the supply chain issues and increasing access to baby formula for our most vulnerable families, we will get the shelves stocked and babies' nutritional needs met."

Congresswoman Manning voted in favor of the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act, to provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with $28 million to address the formula shortage and help prevent future shortages. This bill provides the FDA with resources so they can prevent fraudulent products from being placed on shelves and to help acquire better data on the infant formula marketplace.

In addition to the emergency funding, Congresswoman Manning voted to pass the Access to Baby Formula Act, to help improve access to infant formula for vulnerable families during the formula shortage.

The baby formula shortage has had a major impact on families who use the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program benefits to purchase formula. It's estimated that 86.7% of infants in the WIC program are either partially or fully formula-fed[1].

The Access to Baby Formula Act will grant the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to waive certain requirements so that vulnerable families can continue purchasing safe infant formula with their WIC benefits during extenuating circumstances, such as a public health emergency or supply chain disruption. The bill will also ensure that WIC participants are better protected during a product recall.

Source