The United States House of Representatives passed 2 measures to solve the baby formula shortage on Wednesday, with one vote being significantly more political than the other one and after one Republican leader blasted one of the bills as “covering up” the underlying issue, Fox News informed.
H.R. 7791, a bill that would enable low-income mothers to buy extra baby formula via the federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, was passed by the House with 414-9.
The House passed the H.R. 7790, the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, on a more partisan vote of 231-192.
The law provides the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with $28 million in emergency funding to address the shortfall of FDA-regulated baby formula and prevent subsequent shortages, including efforts to “stop counterfeit products from accessing the United States market.”
H.R. 7790 received only 12 Republican votes.
The bill was hailed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as an effort to “provide vital flexibility for the WIC program that will help struggling families afford baby formula in times of emergency.” Pelosi said that
H.R. 7791 would allow WIC to respond to supply chain interruptions by loosening “some non-safety-related requirements — ensuring America’s babies get the nourishment they need now and in the future.”
She also complimented the spending package for providing the FDA with “urgently needed resources.”
According to The Hill, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., issued a memo on Wednesday encouraging Republicans to vote “no” on the appropriation legislation.
He alleged that Pelosi introduced the bill “in hopes of covering up the ineptitude of the administration by throwing more money at the FDA with no desire to eventually fix the situation, all while neglecting to hold the FDA responsible.”
The Babies Need More Formula Now Act, introduced by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., would solve the shortage.
The measure will boost the availability of baby formula by removing limits on infant formula importation and lowering obstacles for innovations from new brands.
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