Rep. Barry Moore blasts Democrats for ineffective solution to self-inflicted baby formula crisis
Statement
Rep. Barry Moore issue the following statement on H.R. 7790 -- Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act.
"Asking taxpayers to bail the government out of a crisis it created and let fester for months is Washington at its worst," said Moore. "For Democrats, the only solution to every government-caused problem seems to be more government. The antidote after being poisoned is never to take a second dose."
Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act:
In February, a major producer of baby formula closed its doors while inspections occurred after a voluntary recall of formula. Since then, the Biden administration's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dragged its feet and failed to come up with a plan to mitigate the effects of the closure, and this formula shortage has become a dire emergency for families across the country. Instead of working with Republicans to find bipartisan solutions to address the issue, Speaker Pelosi dropped this legislation yesterday in hopes of covering up the administration's ineptitude by throwing additional money at the FDA with no plan to actually fix the problem, all while failing to hold the FDA accountable.
This bill provides $28 million in emergency funding to FDA under the guise that additional funding will solve the current shortage of infant formula.
The funding provided comes with few guardrails to ensure it is used appropriately and in time to address the immediate crisis American families face.
Congress has already provided funding to address supply chain issues, and the Biden Administration is sitting on $1 billion that the Department of Agriculture could use to address issues like this one.
Just two months ago, the FDA received a $102 million budget increase, including $11 million specifically for maternal and infant health and nutrition.
House Republican proposals for strong oversight and a comprehensive approach to the problem were rejected by Democrats, including:
Forcing the FDA to develop a plan to address the shortage
Accounting for excess stocks of formula at federal agencies that could go to American household
Leveraging the federal government's logistics capabilities to get formula to shelves as quickly as possible
Source