The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill on Friday, July 15, to make imported baby formula cheaper for parents to buy in the wake of the nationwide shortage.
HR 8351, also known as the "Formula Act," was introduced by Democratic Representatives Suzan DelBene of Washington and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon. The bill would temporarily suspend tariffs on imported baby formula until the end of the year, according to CNN.
According to Blumenauer's office, baby formula imported from countries without a free trade agreement with the United States is subject to tariffs, increasing the formula cost for American consumers by an average of 27 percent.
Formula Act passes on a 421-2 vote
DelBene said this legislation would help alleviate this crisis by lowering the price of imported baby formula from safe and trusted partners abroad while domestic production catches up.
The bill passed the House by an almost unanimous 421-2 vote and now moves to consideration in the Senate, according to The Hill. This is the latest bill passed by American lawmakers to address the baby formula shortage that has wreaked havoc in the United States.
President Joe Biden signed the Baby Formula Act in May after Congress passed it. The law aimed to ensure that American families in need could continue to buy baby formula with WIC benefits during a public health emergency or when supply chain issues arise, such as a product recall. WIC refers to the assistance program provided by the federal government known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
The Democratic-led House also approved a bill in May that would provide $28 million in emergency funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help alleviate the baby formula shortage. That said, legislation has stalled in the Senate.
Baby formula shortage still a problem in the U.S.
The baby formula shortage was compounded by the months-long shutdown of Abbott Nutrition's infant formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, earlier this year. The facility resumed production on July 1 after a separate three-week shutdown caused by flooding from severe storms in the state of Michigan.
The FDA said in May that it would make it easier to import some baby formulas to ease the shortage. The federal agency announced last week plans to work with foreign infant formula manufacturers so that they can permanently sell their products in the United States.
The Biden administration has flown in millions of formula bottles overseas since May in what it calls Operation Fly Formula. More than 524 million 8-ounce bottles of formula have been imported into the US from nine countries as of July 8. According to the FDA, they have started hitting the US market, with more products slated to be in stores over the coming weeks and months.
