O’Halleran Passes Two Bills to Address Baby Formula Shortage

WASHINGTON - Tonight, Congressman Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01) joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass two legislative measures to address the baby formula shortage.

O'Halleran voted to pass H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act, which improves access to formula by waiving WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) requirements to ensure vulnerable families do not experience barriers when buying formula. In Arizona, 89.4 percent of infants in the WIC program are either partially or fully formula fed, accoridng to federal data.

O'Halleran also voted in favor of H.R. 7790, the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act, $28 million in emergency funding to the FDA, providing the resources needed to address the current urgent infant formula shortage and to help prevent it from ever happening again. H.R. 7790 also funds the balance of necessary FDA activities, strengthens the FDA workforce on formula issues, and increases FDA inspection staff.

"As a father to three and a grandfather to four, I know exactly how essential baby formula can be; the thought of any of my children or grandchildren going hungry in this crucial developmental phase of life is something I could not have borne," said O'Halleran. "The Senate must take up and pass these bills immediately; this problem cannot wait."

The infant formula shortage crisis was caused by a manufacturing recall and subsequent closure of a major manufacturing plant as well as pandemic-related supply chain issues.

"I remain concerned with the staggering delays from the FDA, regarding an issue that was first discovered in September of 2021, but the public was not made aware of until February 2022," continued O'Halleran. "I am glad our bills include resources to strengthen oversight and expand FDA inspection staff. We must investigate why this was able to occur in the first place and put in place measures that prevent this from ever happening again."

Today, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure that formula manufacturers have what they need to make safe formula here in the United States and are required to direct key component goods found in formula to baby formula producers before any other manufactures who order that good.

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