WASHINGTON — Even as the House passed legislation Wednesday to provide $28 million aimed at helping to ease a baby formula shortage that has sent families scrambling, it also tried to address a second issue: easing the shortage’s impact on low-income families who use the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.
Late Wednesday, the House passed 231-192 the bill to provide the new funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s infant formula safety and inspection capabilities.
The House also passed 414-9 a measure that backers hope will prevent low-income families from experiencing formula shortages ever again. The bill would extend WIC infant formula flexibilities that the Biden administration was only able to recently trigger because of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.
