President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) on Wednesday to accelerate the production of U.S.-made infant formula amid a nationwide shortage of this critical food and reports of infant deaths resulting from the shortage.
In a statement published late Wednesday, the White House announced that the DPA would require infant formula manufacturers’ ingredient suppliers to prioritize the needs of infant formula manufacturers before any other customers.
“Directing firms to prioritize and allocate the production of key infant formula inputs will help increase production and speed up in supply chains,” the statement reads.
In addition, the statement said that Biden had directed federal agencies to use commercial cargo aircraft to transport infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards to America in a newly launched operation called Operation Fly Formula….