Congress took some heat on Wednesday after announcing that the House Energy and Commerce Committee would hold hearings on the baby formula shortage beginning on May 25.
“Baby formula supplies have dipped below 50% in a handful of states so naturally, as the crisis worsens without an immediate solution in sight, Democrats will take a look at it…in two weeks,” Townhall.com Managing Editor Spencer Brown tweeted, adding, “E&C Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said the ‘nationwide infant formula shortages are increasingly alarming and demand Congress’ immediate attention,’ and then scheduled a hearing — not actual action — for May 25th.”
E&C Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said the "nationwide infant formula shortages are increasingly alarming and demand Congress’ immediate attention," and then scheduled a hearing — not actual action — for May 25th. https://t.co/vNf3szxoCb
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) May 11, 2022
The meeting, according to Politico’s David Lim, was set to be held in the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee.
Meeting will be in the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
— David Lim (@davidalim) May 11, 2022
The main complaint — voiced by a number on Twitter — was that Congress had managed to push through another $40 billion in aid to Ukraine on an emergency basis, but did not appear to feel the same urgency when it came to the formula that many families depend on to feed their babies.
“These hearings should’ve happened two months ago… Where’s @ChrisPappasNH and the rest of the Pelosi Congress?” New Hampshire Congressional candidate Matt Mowers asked.
“Government can pass a $40 Billion spending package for Ukraine in under 6 hours, but have to wait two weeks before addressing baby formula shortage in America. Are you paying attention yet??” Nat Shupe asked.
Tag Strategies VP Erin Perrine added, “It would have been good to have this hearing a couple of months ago and not in two weeks. Families are struggling RIGHT NOW to get baby formula. Democrats are failing to meet another crisis facing Americans. Classic.”
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald referenced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments on Ukraine — “When you’re home thinking about [what $40 billion to Ukraine] is all about, just think about ‘when I was hungry, you fed me’ from the Gospel of Matthew” — and argued that it might be perceived as tone deaf in the context of a nationwide baby formula shortage.
“The Gospels teach that Congress should send $40 billion more to Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and CIA to fuel the war in Ukraine. The whole ‘you fed me’ shtick seems particularly tone-deaf given the suffering of Americans with inflation, poverty, inability to buy baby formula, etc,” he said.
The Gospels teach that Congress should send $40 billion more to Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and CIA to fuel the war in Ukraine.
The whole "you fed me" shtick seems particularly tone-deaf given the suffering of Americans with inflation, poverty, inability to buy baby formula, etc. https://t.co/QZY69DiQQX
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 11, 2022
“If the reports of baby formula shortages in the United States are true, but Congress can find $40 billion to fund a foreign war, it’s not just quasi-criminal in the impeachable sense. It is outright criminal in the criminal negligence sense,” Viva Frei tweeted.
Former MMA fighter Jake Shields added, “Your Baby might go hungry next week due to a formula shortage but thankful congress rushed through a spending bill to give Ukraine 40 billion in weapons.”