https://www.factcheck.org/2022/05/baby-formula-shortage-fuels-misleading-partisan-claims/
Baby Formula Shortage Fuels Misleading Partisan Claims
factcheck.org/2022/05/baby-formula-shortage-fuels-misleading-partisan-claims
Saranac Hale SpencerMay 13, 2022
Quick Take
A shortage of baby formula has provoked misleading partisan claims that suggest President Joe Biden is responsible for the “bare shelves.” But the shortage has been caused by a recall and plant shutdown by a major manufacturer and ongoing supply-chain issues due to the pandemic.
Full Story
Baby formula has become increasingly unavailable in the U.S. over the last 10 months, reaching an out-of-stock rate of 43% for the week ending May 8, according to data collected by Datasembly.
That rate had remained below 10% from the beginning of 2021 through July, and rose sharply after a product recall in February by Abbott Nutrition, according to the data.
Although the problem had been building for some time, it became politicized in the last week, prompting President Joe Biden to release a plan on May 12 for what his administration will do to address the shortage.
That plan includes easing regulations on the production of formula, cracking down on price gouging and importing more formula.
The U.S. shortage has been driven largely by a recall from Abbott Nutrition, a major manufacturer of formula, and ongoing supply-chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts.
But many high-profile conservatives have suggested that Biden is to blame for the shortage.
For example, Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, shared a Fox Business story on the shortage that featured an image of sparsely filled shelves of infant formula and added the message: “Bare shelves Biden.” The Fox Business story itself cited two other issues, saying “the baby formula shortage began with ongoing supply chain issues but has escalated in recent weeks due to recalls by formula manufacturer Abbott Laboratories.”
And the House Republican Conference shared a similar image from a Fox News on-air segment, adding: “Welcome to Joe Biden’s America.”
Partisans with large social media followings, like David Harris Jr., also weighed in, referring to the shortage and calling the Biden administration “absolutely criminal.”
But a single politician or administration isn’t causing the shortage. Here we’ll explain what’s led to the current situation.