Biden signs baby formula bill during trip to Asia

While in Seoul on Saturday, President Biden signed into law legislation aimed at bolstering access to baby formula as national shortage meanwhile continues to rock American families, The Hill reports.

The legislation, known as the Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022, was passed by the Senate on Thursday after having successfully cleared the House the day prior. The measure is meant to ensure families in need can continue using government-provided Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits to buy baby formula during a public health emergency or product recall.

The devastating formula shortage started with knotted supply chains, but only got worse once leading manufacturer Abbott Laboratories shut down a plant and recalled three powdered formula brands due to potential bacterial infections. The FDA has said production at the Abbott plant could resume soon.

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The government is meanwhile working overtime to get much-needed formula on the shelves, with Biden on Wednesday having invoked the Defense Production Act to help U.S. formula makers quickly access supplies. The president also authorized the Pentagon to fly approved foreign-made baby formula in from overseas.