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May 19, 2022

Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Address Baby Formula Shortage
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President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act in order to
address the nationwide baby formula shortage, in hopes that the Korean
War-era law will boost the domestic manufacturing of formula. Biden's
decision to invoke the DPA underscores the severity of the shortage,
which has left store shelves bare and many parents desperate to feed
their infants.

President Joe Biden: "The Defense Production Act gives the government
the ability to require suppliers to direct needed resources to infant
formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered
that good. And I'm also announcing Operation Fly Formula. That's to be
able to speed up the import of infant formula and start getting more
formula in stores as soon as possible."

Click here to see our interview with David Dayen on monopolies. On
Wednesday, the House passed a $28 million emergency funding bill for the
Food and Drug Administration in order to address the formula crisis.


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