The Senate has passed legislation via unanimous consent to combat the baby formula shortage which now goes to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
Not a single Republican Senator objected to the legislation:
Senate passes bill by unanimous consent to allow use of money from the WIC program to purchase baby formula; bill passed the House yesterday on a 414-9 vote
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 19, 2022
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said:
The Senate has just passed legislation to help ease the terrible nightmare parents are facing trying to find baby formula for their kids.
It’s rare that we have unanimity in the Senate on important measures, and I wish we had more. But this is one of those important issues, and I am glad we are acting with one voice.
….
The step we are taking today is going to add flexibility and relief to WIC beneficiaries, and almost half of all baby formula consumed in the U.S. is by WIC beneficiaries. Now millions of parents will have an easier time finding the baby formula they need.
The legislation that the Senate passed unanimously is the same bill that 192 House Republicans voted against. Apparently, Senate Republicans are much less enthusiastic about starving American infants than their House Republican colleagues are.
Fifty percent of baby formula in the United States is purchased through the WIC, so the actions that Congress has taken will make a big difference.
Production is set to resume at the baby formula factory that triggered this shortage after bacterial contamination shut it down, so the crisis will soon be over, and Republicans will need to find another cause to grandstand about before the midterm election.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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