news

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) voted in support of H.R. 7790, the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act, and H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act. These two bills will improve families’ access to infant formula and prevent this crisis from potentially happening again.

“For many families, formula isn’t a choice – it’s a necessity for the health and well-being of their baby,” said Dingell. “It is horrifying and unacceptable that so many families can’t find any safe and affordable formula in their local grocery stores. We must give our federal agencies the tools they need to get formula back on the shelves and to ensure a crisis like this never happens again, and that is exactly what the House has done today. Mothers across the country are in state of panic about how they’re going to feed their children, and I hope all my colleagues recognize how serious this issue is for the development of our babies. We need to get both of these bills to President Biden’s desk now.”

The Infant Formulation Supplemental Appropriations Act provides the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the resources to prevent fraudulent products from being place on shelves and to help acquire better data on the infant formula marketplace. The bill also funds the balance of necessary FDA activities, strengthens the workforce focused on formula issues and increases FDA inspection staff.

The Access to Baby Formula Act will grant the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to waive certain requirements so that vulnerable families can continue purchasing safe infant formula with their WIC benefits during extenuating circumstances, such as a public health emergency or supply chain disruption. The bill will also ensure that WIC participants are better protected during a product recall. Congresswoman Dingell is an original cosponsor of this bill.

For help finding formula, visit HHS.gov/formula for resources.