On Wednesday, the Biden administration invoked a wartime tool, the Defense Production Act, in an effort to address a national shortage of baby formula. His use of the law, which Congress passed in the early days of the Korean War, reflects the magnitude of the supply shortage that has left many parents scrambling for formula.
Supply chain disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic have fueled shortages of a wide range of consumer goods, but the recall of a formula produced at an Abbott plant in Michigan has exacerbated the shortage. Most American parents and caregivers rely at least partially on formula to feed their babies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.