Wednesday 18 May 2022 07:28 PM Baby formula crisis: Bipartisan group pushes Biden to use Defense Production ... trends now
Now a bipartisan group in the House is bringing forth a resolution imploring President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act, as a growing number of lawmakers for the Cold War-era law to be used to address the baby formula shortage.
Twenty members of the House, eighteen Democrats, two Republicans, and many who face competitive re-election races, co-sponsored the resolution, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.
Co-sponsors include Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), and others. It has two Republican backers as well: Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Maria Salazar (R-Fla.)
The resolution joins several other pieces of legislation, including one bill from a bipartisan group of senators led by Marco Rubio that would order Biden to invoke the DPA and approve the sale of European-produced baby formulas in the U.S.
On Monday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to President Biden urging him to invoke the DPA.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brushed past the idea on Sunday, claiming that it is not legally possible to invoke the DPA for baby formula. While she said Congress should change the law, she focused on two other pieces of legislation-- one the House plans to vote on Wednesday that would allow the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to cover more brands of formula and another that would provide $28 million in emergency aid.
Asked if Biden should invoke the DPA on Sunday, the speaker said: 'I think so but as the law is now it is not possible to do that.'
'[Appropriations chair Rosa DeLauro] feels quite certain that we have to change the law in order for the Defense Production Act to be called into play,' she added.
Twenty members of the House, eighteen Democrats, two Republicans, and many who face competitive re-election races, co-sponsored the resolution, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.
Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the DPA was an option, but the White House was not yet sure it would be helpful. 'You have to ensure that it would actually achieve what you're trying to achieve,' she said of using the act.
When asked about invoking the DPA on Monday, the White House's new press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: 'We’re leaving no stone unturned and every option is on the table, as we have been saying for the past several days.'
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