As the great baby formula bust of 2022 rears its ugly head, a clear issue of what priorities the administration of President Joe Biden embraces has arisen. As American mothers struggle to locate product supplies, we learn that Biden is shipping them off to illegal-immigrant mothers crossing over our porous southern borders for little ones in need of such sustenance.
With 40% of the nation’s baby formula supplies out of stock, the finger pointing is in full force. While a brief scare caused Abbott Laboratories, which has a 42% market share, to shut down its production facility to determine if illnesses of four babies ingesting the formula were related, an FDA investigation found no link. The root cause of the shortage is actually more related to government policies limiting formula sourcing.
Due to high tariffs, there are only four major domestic baby formula producers. Further limiting imports are trade barriers such as required FDA labeling and ingredient requirements. Other factors have contributed as well to the shortage – the result of more government involvement making big business bigger while limiting competition.
Meanwhile, there is an ongoing debate as to whether there really even is a shortage – the FDA claims there is not – or whether it is just a distribution problem. If there is no shortage, FDA failed to get the word to New York City, which has announced a state of emergency over the shortage.
As the FDA struggles to defend itself, an adviser to former President Barack Obama puts the monkey directly on the FDA’s back, claiming there is a shortage and it is due to the agency’s numerous policy failures. And, in a classic case of the left hand (FDA) not knowing what the right hand (Biden) is doing, the first supply of baby formula – 78,000 pounds worth – was flown into the U.S. from Ramstein Air Base in Germany by the U.S. Air Force.
Some concerned mothers are donating their own breast milk to meet the shortage – real or not – as the administration appears to be chasing its tail on the matter. Regardless of the root cause, babies are being hospitalized across the country for malnutrition.
May 13 was White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s last day on the job. A reporter queried her on the issue as far as prioritizing formula needs for babies of illegal immigrants over those of American citizens. A tweet, authored by Rep. Elise Stefanik, was referenced, in which she stated, “Joe Biden continues to put America LAST by shipping pallets of baby formula to the southern border as American families face empty shelves. This is unacceptable. American mothers and their babies shouldn’t suffer because of the #BidenBorderCrisis.” The reporter then asked Psaki for a response.
Psaki was obviously ready to field the question, providing a legal justification for sending the baby formula south to the border. She cited the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement by which the needs of children incarcerated in family detention centers accompanied by a responsible adult were addressed. While it includes no specific mention about baby formula per se, the agreement does require that children be provided with adequate food provisions.
Thus, Psaki argued, “So this has been a law in the United States for a quarter century. It’s been followed by every administration … but I would also note that we also think it’s morally the right thing to do. … We believe that when … babies … are crossing the border with a family member that providing them formula … is morally right. And so we certainly support the implementation of it.”
But while Psaki endeavored to justify the Biden administration’s baby formula policy based on Flores, she failed to address the obvious assumption upon which Flores was based. Clearly, in 1997, at a time America experienced no supply chain issues or food shortages, it was only logical that our food abundance be used to meet the needs of incarcerated illegal immigrants and their babies. The obvious mindset among the parties agreeing to Flores was to care for illegal-immigrant babies based upon a stable U.S. supply chain and food supply. But, while it is morally right to provide baby formula for all babies within our borders, it is not morally right to prioritize one group over another.
Meanwhile, as Americans face empty shelves in grocery stores, we learn that Biden is sending additional funding – $215 million worth – to fight food shortages overseas.
What Biden’s actions, not only with the baby formula but worldwide food shortages as well, communicate is this: Were he in a two-person lifeboat with an American child, upon seeing the child of an illegal immigrant in the water, he would toss the former into the ocean to save the latter.
Barack Obama declared, “As president, I have often said that I have no greater responsibility than protecting the American people.” Ironically, Obama was incorrect in identifying that as his top responsibility; the oath of office he took does not support him. And, it is obvious, even if it were, Biden has little concern for such responsibility.
Biden has demonstrated when it comes to using taxpayer money to help illegal immigrants, providing them welfare, giving them coronavirus stimulus checks, etc., he has no hesitancy to do so as it is only money. However, it is an entirely different matter when it comes to American lives and those of our children. The Biden administration’s prioritizing the care of the babies of illegal aliens over those of American citizens, as well as foreign food shortages, demonstrates an inexplicable and undeserved callousness toward his people.
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