WASHINGTON — Two Democratic senators are pressing the Biden administration to designate a White House official to work with key manufacturers to address the shortage of baby formula across the U.S.
In a letter first obtained by NBC News, Sens. Patty Murray of Washington and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to "immediately assign a coordinator" within the administration to work directly with manufacturers and oversee a national strategy to increase supply chain resiliency as well as prevent future shortages.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration announced new measures to boost formula supplies, including streamlining the ability of manufacturers globally to sell their products in the U.S., waiving certain trade barriers that have prevented some imports.
“We were encouraged to see FDA take steps this week to address the formula shortage,” they wrote, but the federal government “needs to do more to get formula back on shelves as soon as possible and secure the supply chain of infant formula to prevent this type of crisis from happening again.”
Congress is under pressure to act quickly. The House is expected to vote this week on a pair of bills to help families affected by the formula shortage.
The Access to Baby Formula Act — spearheaded by Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., a member of the Education and Labor Committee — would allow more formula to be purchased with money from a federal program that aids low-income women, kids and infants.
A second bill, written by House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., would send $28 million to the FDA to boost staffing and efficiency.
The formula shortage, which began in the early days of the Covid pandemic, has worsened in recent weeks due to labor shortages and a major product recall, sparking panic and stress among parents across the country.
The FDA investigated Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan facility earlier this year after four infants who drank its formula contracted bacterial infections and were hospitalized. The infections may have also contributed to the deaths of two babies, the agency said.
Murray told NBC News that giving the agency more money to address the issue might not lead to a quick solution, adding: “We need a national strategy.”
Casey said he will also release a bill Wednesday that would require formula manufacturers to provide “timely notification” to the FDA on any “meaningful” disruptions to their domestic production. The legislation would also empower the agency to proactively address potential shortages, he said.
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., a ranking member on the Senate Health, Labor and Education Committee, wrote a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf on Monday night demanding accountability from the agency. “This didn’t happen overnight,” he wrote.