Today, May 20th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 7830, the Babies Need More Formula Now Act. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), would work to quickly increase the baby formula supply, increase oversight and accountability at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), increase innovation to provide more choices for parents, and work to prevent future crises.
“Writing a blank check to an FDA that has proven they are incapable of developing a plan that would have prevented the current formula crisis does nothing to help families across the country. The FDA clearly needs to be given a detailed plan of how to handle this crisis and give families more options in case of future shortages,” said Miller-Meeks. “This crisis was predicted months in advance and the FDA took little action to help families prepare or mitigate the impact. This legislation would take real and concrete action to help American families and I am proud to support it.”
Background:
Increasing Supply: The Babies Need More Formula Now Act makes sure the FDA is using every flexibility to import safe baby formula from abroad. It also temporarily lifts restrictions on infant formula to allow parents to order formula from countries that have similar safety standards as the United States.
Requiring the FDA to be Transparent: Just giving the Biden administration more money will not address the immediate crisis or correct how it made these shortages worse. The Babies Need More Formula Now Act adds oversight and accountability to the FDA to make sure it is doing its job and acting quickly to maintain a healthy and safe supply of formula.
Giving Parents More Choices: To prevent dangerous shortages from happening again, this solution also lifts FDA-imposed barriers that restrict new types and brands of formula from entering the market. It ensures more competition so more formula will reach the shelves and parents have more options to keep their babies fed.
Enhancing Accountability for Recalls: When there is a recall for labeling unrelated to the quality of the product, the FDA needs to consider the impact on the supply of formula before recommending or requiring a recall. The Babies Need More Formula Now Act requires the FDA to notify Congress of recalls and provide a plan to address any supply issues that may result. It requires coordination between the FDA and the manufacturer of the recalled formula to resolve any issues as soon as possible.
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