DRASTIC MEASURES

Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Ease Baby Formula Shortage

The president also announced Operation Fly Formula, which aims to import formula from abroad.

President Biden announced that he is invoking the Defense Production Act in an effort to alleviate the baby formula shortage. The 1950s law gives the government more control over production during emergencies, and the administration will use it to compel suppliers of formula ingredients to prioritize deliveries to formula manufacturers. Biden’s announcement comes after a bipartisan group of lawmakers urged him to invoke the Defense Protection Act as supply chain issues and the shuttering of a plant in Michigan over contamination concerns have led to shortages nationwide. The president also announced Operation Fly Formula, which instructs federal agencies to use U.S. military aircraft to ship in formula from overseas.