Biden says he wasn't made aware of formula shortage early on

Despite the most recent efforts to increase the supply of baby formula, the shortage has only gotten worse, and President Biden's comments on the issue on Wednesday highlighted an apparent disconnect between the industry's alertness and the administration's.
Biden shared that he was not aware of the shortage until April, two months after it had become a crisis. Manufacturing executives and corporate leaders apparently knew of the severe shortage in February, and the White House struggled to explain why the administration waited so long to address it with the president.
The delayed action now raises "new questions about the administration's monitoring and handling of the problem," The Washington Post says. The president admitted he underestimated the impact of the Abbott baby formula plant shutting down in Michigan, along with the back-to-back recalls.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I don't think anyone anticipated the impact of the shutdown of one facility," Biden said, though USA Today points out he said this "minutes after manufacturers said they anticipated a shortage." Biden added, "Once we learned the extent of it and how broad it was, it kicked everything into gear."
Senior vice president at Reckitt, Robert Cleveland, told Biden they "were aware of the general impact that this would have." He said the formula manufacturer took immediate actions to reach out to retailers, including Target and Walmart, warning them of the potential issue.
Now, the White House is working to continue increasing the supply, shipping nearly 4 million bottles from London to the U.S., NBC News reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kelsee Majette has worked as a social media editor at The Week since 2022. In 2019, she got her start in local television as a digital producer and fill-in weather reporter at NTV News. Kelsee also co-produced a lifestyle talk show while working in Nebraska and later transitioned to 13News Now as a digital content producer.
-
Magazine solutions - March 14, 2025
Feature Issue - March 14, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - March 14, 2025
Feature Issue - March 14, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Why is MAGA turning on Amy Coney Barrett?
Today's Big Question She may be the swing vote on Trump cases
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published