Mike Lee Takes Karine Jean-Pierre to Task For Being Unprepared on the Baby Formula Shortage Question, Urges Passage of His FORMULA Act

Yesterday, we reported that a question about the baby formula shortage left White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stumped as she flipped through her binder for 20 seconds before admitting that she didn’t have “anything new.”

U.S. Sen Mike Lee (R-UT) today took Jean-Pierre to task for being unprepared as he quote tweeted a clip from yesterday.

“While the White House flips through notes, American moms and dads have been asking themselves how they are going to find formula to feed their babies each and every day,” Lee explained.

Lee then urged, “My FORMULA Act would help ease the baby formula crisis. We should pass it immediately.”

While the White House flips through notes, American moms and dads have been asking themselves how they are going to find formula to feed their babies each and every day. My FORMULA Act would help ease the baby formula crisis. We should pass it immediately. https://t.co/99LwV2r0CP

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 14, 2022

In a May 16 press release, Lee announced that he was finalizing his Fixing Our Regulatory Mayhem Upsetting Little Americans (FORMULA) Act to combat domestic baby formula shortages and bolster the supply chain to help American families feed their babies.

According to the press release:

In recent days, challenges in the baby formula supply chains have seen the out-of-stock rate for formula to triple from numbers seen six months ago.

Recent shortages come in the immediate aftermath of a recall and temporary closure of a major American formula factory, but highlight systemic weaknesses in this vital supply chain.

Due to the disruption, families in Utah and across the nation are struggling to feed their babies.

The FORMULA Act targets supply chain disruption by temporarily waiving current protectionist trade barriers like tariffs and quotas on importation that reduce the supply and increase the price of available foreign-made formula.

The bill would also waive regulations that prevent the importation of safe baby formula from abroad. This would allow American families to access safe and plentiful formula manufactured in Europe and elsewhere during the current shortage.

The bill will also allow Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program recipients to use vouchers to purchase formula from any producer rather than be limited to the brand or product listed on specific vouchers—which may be unavailable.

Of the bill, Sen. Lee said, “American babies are going hungry and the federal government is standing in the way. Current policies, tariffs, quotas, bans, and regulations are preventing mothers and fathers from being able to make the best choices to feed their babies. My FORMULA Act will give these families relief during this unprecedented shortage. Congress needs to pass this bill immediately to protect American babies from going hungry.”