North Country Leader

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, along with Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH), today introduced the Improving Newborn Formula Access for a Nutritious Tomorrow (INFANT) Act, which would expand baby formula contracting for states from one to two suppliers in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

“This critical, family-oriented legislation comes in the wake of the ongoing nationwide baby formula shortage crisis that is still heavily impacting mothers who rely on WIC to feed their babies. As the newest Mom in Congress, I have been advocating for parents and families in Upstate NY and across America struggling to find baby formula since the beginning of this crisis. It’s time to pass this legislation to ensure that we put ourselves in a position where a baby formula shortage crisis never happens again,” stated Congresswoman Stefanik.

“Families should never be placed in a situation where they struggle to adequately feed their infant children, but that has been the harsh reality for countless families in Ohio and across the country for more than a year,” stated Congressman Mike Turner. “I am proud to partner with my friend and colleague Congresswoman Stefanik to expand WIC’s existing contracting requirements and foster competitiveness in the baby formula market. By making our supply chain more resilient, we can protect families from baby formula shortages in the future.”

The Improving Newborn Formula Access for a Nutritious Tomorrow Act would:

1. Provide more options for WIC mothers
2. Allow new formula manufacturers to enter the market to benefit WIC families
3. Increase the resiliency of the infant formula supply chain

In February 2022, Congresswoman Stefanik sent a letter calling on the FDA to address safety and supply concerns regarding baby formula following a recall of powdered formulas after reports of related illness in infants. A few months later, Congresswoman Stefanik followed up and called on the FDA to provide a clear timeline for when baby formula inventory is expected to be sufficiently restocked as well as a long-term plan to minimize supply chain disruptions for baby formula. 

Congresswoman Stefanik led the Babies Need Formula Now Act to increase the baby formula supply for parents as soon as possible.

Original source can be found here.