Tuesday 24 May 2022 09:25 PM Nancy Pelosi tears into the nine Republicans who voted against bill to ease ... trends now
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday defended President Joe Biden's much-criticized response to baby formula shortages and instead turned her fire on nine Republicans who voted against a bill to help poorer women buy milk substitute.
Lawmakers will hold three hearings issue this week as they seek to find out what led to massive shortages across the nation.
Under intense political pressure. the Biden administration has begun airlifting supplies from Europe.
Appearing on Morning Joe, Pelosi was asked whether the crisis was an unforced error.
Pelosi said the idea of baby crying and there being no food in the house, 'it hits home as deeply as possible.'
'But we did pass last week two bills,' she said. 'One that overwhelmingly passed bipartisan, in terms of setting us on a course that it cannot happen again.
'But the other, to have the money, $20 million-some to help facilitate baby formula getting to families and the Republicans voted against it.
How do you vote against some million dollars for baby food?
'How do you do it?'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday turned her fire on nine Republicans who voted against a bill to help poorer women buy infant formula
Infant formula has been in short supply after production was halted at the biggest U.S. plant
Desperate parents have been confronted by empty shelves and signs saying stores are out of stock amid nationwide shortages
The Access to Baby Formula Act was passed the House on a vote of 414 to 9 last Wednesday.
Nine Republicans voted against it .
They are: Andy Biggs (Arizona)
Lauren Boebert (Colorado)
Matt Gaetz (Florida)
Matt Gaetz of Florida was among the Republicans who voted against the bill
Louie Gohmert (Texas)
Paul Gosar (Arizona)
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia)
Clay Higgins (Louisiana)
Thomas Massie (Kentucky)
Chip Roy (Texas)
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The Access to Baby Formula Act would allow low-income women to buy more baby formula through the federal Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program.
WIC is one of the main drivers of the entire baby formula industry, buying up more than 50 percent of all product in the U.S., according to the most recent federal data.
It passed on a 414-9 vote in the House last Wednesday.
All nine voting against were Republicans, drawn largely from a Trump-allied fringe of the party including such firebrands as Paul Gosar and Lauren Boebert.
Several blamed the Food and Drug
