The Biden administration said on Thursday that it was working to address a worsening nationwide shortage of infant formula, announcing efforts to speed manufacturing and increase imports as pressure mounted to respond to a crisis that has desperate parents scrambling to feed their children.
President Biden met with retailers and manufacturers to discuss their efforts to increase production. Senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail the conversation said that they discussed steps the federal government could take to help stock bare shelves in rural areas.
After the meeting, the White House announced a series of modest moves to increase supply, including pushing states to waive packaging regulations to allow manufacturers to get formula on store shelves more quickly. The administration is instructing the FTC and state officials to crack down on price gouging and call for companies to institute buying limits, according to officials.
The FDA would announce in the coming days that the United States would begin to import more formula. Mexico, Chile, Ireland and the Netherlands were listed as the main sources of such imports.
The officials conceded that Americans wouldn't see any immediate relief.
Republicans were sharpening their attacks on Mr. Biden and Democrats before the congressional elections. They said it was more proof of their claim that unified Democratic rule in Washington had led to inflation, high gas prices and other economic challenges.
The steps the president took today are an acknowledgment that more needs to be done, according to the White House press secretary.
The shortage is expected to last for months as the government and retailers try to address a shortfall in production that began in February after a voluntary recall of several lines of powdered formula. Abbott Nutrition, the country's largest manufacturer of infant formula, had to close its plant in Michigan because of concerns about the safety of its product after four infants became sick and two of them died.
Senior administration officials said on Thursday that they had no idea when the plant would reopen or when parents would see an increase in baby food on the shelves. If Americans can't find formula, they should call the administration, Ms. Psaki said.
Officials said they were encouraging states to cut down on regulations for manufacturers so they could increase production.
The Biden administration has been under increasing political pressure to address the crisis, not just from Republicans who have incorporated it into their midterm playbook, but also from Democrats who are facing challenging re- election contests.
"I'm not satisfied until there is food on the shelves," said Representative Abigail Spanberger, who is up for re-election. She said that she received a call from the White House chief of staff after she appeared on television to discuss the shortage.
They are working it with a level of seriousness. I wish everyone was apoplectic over it.
She said that she and Mr. Klain had talked about using the Defense Production Act to increase production. She said they talked about removing tariffs that would allow the United States to get imported formula onto American shelves quicker.
Two hearings on the issue will be held in the next two weeks.
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, House Republicans blamed Mr. Biden for the shortage, saying his administration had failed to plan for it and that he had failed to deal with the economic challenges facing voters.
Republicans hoped that the focus on the formula crisis would win them victories in November and that Mr. Biden and Democrats had been too focused on issues like inflation and rising gas prices that mattered most to regular Americans.
The administration should have had a plan for the shortage months ago, according to the Republican Representative from New York.
A growing problem. A nationwide shortage of baby formula has left parents confused and concerned. There are ways to manage uncertainty.
Finding a formula. If your baby's formula wasn't affected by the recall, you can call your local store and ask when it will be back in stock. You can buy it online. If your baby is on special formula, you should reach out to your doctor's office.
A new formula is being picked. If you use a name-brand formula, look for a generic version. If you want a new formula that matches your usual one, seek it. If your baby is on a special formula, make sure to check with your doctor.
A new product transition. You want to switch your child gradually. Gradually phase out the old product when you mix three quarters of your usual formula with one quarter of the new one. If you can transition gradually because you have run out of your usual formula, it's fine.
What not to do. If you can't find your baby's usual formula, don't make your own, homemade formulas are often inadequate and at risk of being contaminated. Don't try to stretch your formula by adding more water, and don't buy it from unvetted online marketplaces. Don't use toddler formula for a baby less than a year old.
My son, Sam, is 9 months old and he is formula-fed. The shelves have been fairly empty.
The event was focused on the most basic of human needs, but hard-right Republicans turned it into a forum for airing their favorite attacks against Mr. Biden, trying to tie the formula shortage to his border policies and even efforts to reduce drug overdoses.
The Biden administration has been sending baby formula for illegal mothers and their babies while American mothers and babies cannot find baby formula, according to Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
A White House official said that since 1997 it has been compulsory for border personnel to have baby formula for people and infants taken into custody. The policy was followed by the Trump and Bush administrations.
The father of a 4-month-old baby, Representative Mike Waltz, floated a hypothetical that he was heard shopping for colleagues before the news conference.
It seems like it is easier to get a crack pipe in a government-funded smoking kit than it is to find baby formula in America, according to him.
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