Congresswoman Lee Issues Statement on Baby Formula Shortage
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congresswoman Lee, Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus and member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the baby formula shortage:
“I’m pleased to hear of the FDA's most recent steps to address the infant formula shortage. It is heartbreaking to learn of parents struggling to find infant formula on store shelves, and this is especially true for low-income families. We must swiftly identify and address the root causes and ensure the safe production and delivery of food and nutrition for infants.
“We must take bold action to address corporate concentration within the infant formula industry and prioritize safety in our formula production so this never happens again. I applaud Chairwoman DeLauro for her leadership on this issue, introducing supplemental funding legislation to restore the domestic supply of infant formula. The Appropriations Committee is holding a hearing to learn how this food safety failure occurred in the first place and identify ways to prevent it from ever happening again. I have joined several of my colleagues in urging President Biden to exhaust every available option to shore up the supply chains and support addressing this issue.
“Make no mistake: this is an emergency. There is much more work to be done, but this is an important step toward American families receiving the help they need to feed and protect their children.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.