Sunday 8 May 2022 06:38 AM Parents and politicians slam Biden for failing to intervene in baby formula ... trends now

Parents and politicians alike are slamming President Biden for his failure to address the US' ongoing baby formula shortage - with one distressed dad saying 'never did I think I would have a problem finding food for my baby in America.'

The backlash against Biden comes as the formula shortage has reached crisis levels in recent weeks, with at least 12 states facing 40 percent or higher out of stock rates.

As shelves across the country meant to carry formula remain largely barren, parents such as Russell Bleck, a husband and father in Lexington, Kentucky, have become desperate to get their hands on the all important product.

The couple, who survived the notorious Las Vegas concert shooting in 2017 - the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in US history - moved to Kentucky later that year ahead of the birth of their daughter, Aurora, now 3, with plans to raise a family.

Speaking to Fox News Digital Friday, Bleck - whose wife, Bre, gave birth to the pair's second child, Asher, six weeks ago - said he finds the shortage 'very stressful,' and pleaded for both the government and media to better address the crisis.

'The panic of possibly not being able to feed my baby was intense,' Bleck, 33, told the outlet in an email interview Friday.

'We first noticed the formula shortage in February. However, it didn't impact us until a couple of weeks ago.'

Bleck continued: 'I saw a friend of ours make a Facebook post [about] not being able to find her brand. She recently had a double mastectomy, so milk production wasn't an option.'

Bleck then detailed his own difficulties in finding formula for his infant son over the past several weeks, unable to find any brand of the product at a local store.

'We were on our last can, so I ran up to the store at 11 pm right before they closed. They were completely out of every brand of formula. I couldn't even switch brands.'

Bleck told the outlet that as a father, he had 'never even thought' such a scarcity of baby formula was possible - but has since been confronted with the cold reality of the crisis, which worsened in February after a recall related to the death of an infant saw several top brands stripped from store shelves.

'I jumped into gear and spent all night online,' he told Fox, after failing to track down the product.  

Only 'after ordering from 5 different places,' Bleck said, 'one order was fulfilled for one can.'  

'The rest,' the father said, 'were either canceled or delayed - even today,' he said, referring to the day of the interview, Friday, May 6, 2022.  

'These are real problems for real people.'

Bleck said that Asher's preferred brand is Enfamil Gentlease, but that given the difficulty he and his wife have had in tracking down the product, the family is now 'open to anything.'  

For now, Bleck said that he and his wife have been able to sniff out some few-and-far-between stashes of the formula through the use social media and with the aid of some parent groups.

'If that doesn't work,' he said, 'we have had friends or family swing by the baby section in other states. We send them money via Venmo or Cashapp - and they ship it to us.'

He added: 'This is really stressful. My wife and I are survivors of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. We moved to Kentucky to raise a family.

'Never did I think I would have a problem finding food for my baby in America.'

Bleck said he is frustrated by the mainstream media's coverage of this shortage, and the lack of action taken to address the crisis.

'It would be nice if the MSM would get back to covering what is impacting people's lives,' he told Fox Friday.

'For the first time in my lifetime, I am seeing everyone from all walks of life hurt.'

He added: 'It doesn't matter who you are - you are feeling this economy.'

The national shortage, which experts say stems from pandemic-related supply-chain issues, has worsened in recent months, spurring a slew of conservative commentators to criticize President Biden's hesitance to address the situation.

'This is horrific,' Indiana congressman Jim Banks wrote in a tweet criticizing the president - whose administration has provided more than $4 billion to Ukraine since he was elected, with plans to shell out billions more in the coming months. 

'In six states, more than 50% of baby formula is out of stock,' Banks, a Republican, wrote.

'Across the country, the price of formula is up nearly 20 percent from last year,' he went on, also noting the current inflation crisis that has emerged in the little more than two years since Biden assumed office.  

'Young parents are having to ration food. The disastrous Joe Biden economy is turning into a crisis.'

Along with the scathing post, the congressman attached a photo detailing several case studies of parents struggling to find formula for their young ones amid the shortage.

Louisiana rep Steve Scalise also offered the president some strong words over social media this week in regards to the shortage.

'Parents already have to worry about higher gas prices, expensive groceries, and higher utility bills. And now? No baby formula on the shelves. Thanks, Biden,' the politician wrote.

Even Democrats are pleading the president take action, with US Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island sending a letter to Biden last month urging his administration to take action to address the shortage.

'This recent baby formula shortage is causing a lot of stress for new parents and it can be hard to find a specific brand at local stores,' Reed wrote.

'But the good news is there is plenty of baby formula to go around, we just need to get it to those in need. 

'I want to ensure the federal government is doing its part, being proactive, and helping new moms and dads and solve this issue,' said Reed.

The politician then poised a series of questions to the president - which have since remained unanswered.   

'1.What steps have your agencies taken to minimize the impact of the immediate shortage?,' Reed wrote.

'2.When do your agencies expect baby formula inventory to be back to sufficient levels?' and '3.What measures should be taken in the long term to minimize the supply chain disruptions for what is an essential product for many families?'