President Joe Biden was blasted by outraged parents who believe his ‘incompetent’ administration waited too long to address the nationwide baby formula shortage that has left families scrambling to find ways to feed their infants.
Biden, on Wednesday evening, invoked the Defense Production Act to boost baby formula production and issued a directive for planes to bring in supplies from overseas, after growing pressure from Congress.
In addition to invoking the Cold War-era law to compel suppliers to direct resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer, Biden announced ‘Operation Fly Formula,’ which will direct Defense Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) resources to getting planes loaded with formula that meets FDA safety standards from other countries to bring it to American parents. The Defense Department will use its contracts with commercial airlines to transport the formula back to the U.S.
Despite the fact that concerned parents have repeatedly called on the president to address the shortage, the move was met with backlash online.
‘This should have been done weeks ago. Biden’s admin is utterly worthless and incompetent,’ one Twitter user slammed.
‘This is a HORRIBLE IDEA!! The government sucks at everything,’ echoed another. ‘They regulate the industry to death, don’t address it when they know its coming & are least able to fix it!’
The U.S. relies on domestic producers for 98 percent of the baby formula it consumes. The average out-of-stock rate for the key product hit 43 percent earlier this month, according to Datasembly.
Earlier Wednesday a bipartisan group in the House brought forth a resolution imploring Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act.
Twenty members of the House, eighteen Democrats, two Republicans, and many who face competitive re-election races, co-sponsored the resolution, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.
Co-sponsors include Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), and others. It has two Republican backers as well: Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Maria Salazar (R-Fla.)
The resolution joins several other pieces of legislation, including one bill from a bipartisan group of senators led by Marco Rubio that would order Biden to invoke the DPA and approve the sale of European-produced baby formulas in the U.S.
Biden wrote in a letter to Health and Human Services Sec. Xavier Becerra and USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack on Tuesday:
‘Imports of baby formula will serve as a bridge to this ramped up production, therefore, I am requesting you take all appropriate measures available to get additional safe formula into the country immediately.
‘Specifically, I request that you work expeditiously to identify any and all avenues to speed the importation of safe infant formula into the United States and onto store shelves.’
The desperation of parents has been highlighted on social media, where hundreds of thousands of posts called on the White House, FDA and other leaders to take action.
It was no different when Biden unveiled his plan to invoke the Defense Production Act, a move that has been both applauded and highly criticized by infant caregivers.
‘Wow! Invoking the Defense Production Act? Federal planes. Biden is not your run of the mill @POTUS,’ wrote Twitter user @glenlg2. ‘At least when one says Biden’s actions are “unprecedented,” one can always rest assured that it’s for a good cause.’
‘I’m glad Biden is invoking the defense production act to help fix the formula shortage,’ journalist Jessica Grose shared. ‘But it should never have come to this, and reforming WIC permanently should happen too.’
‘This president just did a fabulous thing,’ Catherine Morrison said. ‘I don’t like Biden but he is doing the right thing here, congratulations Mr. President.’
‘Defense Production Act aka another one of Trump’s messes Biden is cleaning up,’ @Justdrewisme tweeted, slamming Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, while others placed the blame on America’s current leadership.
Twitter account @NoLiberals argued: ‘Biden invokes Defense Production Act for baby formula (to basically fix a problem HIS administration CREATED when it shut down a factory making 40% of the baby formula in the US)!’
‘Do you realize Mr. President how ridiculous it sounds to invoke the Defense Production Act to provide baby formula to mothers in this country?’ questioned @johnwlathrop. ‘BTW I’m a real person and I vote.’
‘It’s all so they can brag about how he handled the formula crisis hoping he can get votes. They won’t mention that he caused it,’ echoed @HRLovellart.
‘Dems blow it again… reward stock buybacks, greed, & consumer price gouging… surprise, with more taxpayer funded WELFARE!’ J. M. Hamilton said, blasting the Democratic party.
‘SleepyJoe aka Biden invoking of the Defense Production Act is a travesty,’ Tom Martinez wrote. ‘His goons at the FDA and other government agencies are the ones who caused the shortage of baby formula in the first place by shutting down factories. This jerk needs to be impeached. #BidenTreason.’
‘So let me see if I have this straight,’ criticized @DonCamp29856335. ‘Joe’s plan is for the military to fly baby formula, made in America and shipped to other countries around the world, back to the USA?’
‘I wouldn’t feed my child infant formula under Biden’s Defense Production Act. IMPORTING baby formula from CHINA?’ @Sandra26865205 wrote.
‘Ingredients from Asian countries? We have manufacturers in AMERICA that have been shuttered for months BECAUSE OF BIDEN. He starves us out then offers crumbs. A**hole!’
This is an excerpt from the Daily Mail.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.