Biden takes action on baby formula shortage | First Thing

US president authorized defense department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula supplies from overseas

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Good morning.

As parents across the country continue to struggle to find infant formula to feed their babies, Joe Biden yesterday invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and authorized flights to import supply from overseas.

The 1950 law requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfil orders from those companies before other customers.

Biden also authorized the defense department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula supplies that meet federal standards from overseas to the US, in what the White House is calling Operation Fly Formula".

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula into the US.

At the start of May, 43% of baby formula was out of stock at retailers. Read more here on how this crisis came to be.