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How I’m helping get baby formula back on Washington store shelves

Dear friend,  

I raised two kids and know the first months of parenthood are tiring and stressful even in the best situations. I understand the difficult situation Washington parents are in as they try to find safe, affordable baby formula.   

While the formula shortage has eased from its worse moments in May, we still have more work to do.  

This week, I hosted a roundtable with parents and community organizations, including ones working with families in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program,  at the Volunteers of America Western Washington’s Food Distribution Center in Arlington to highlight work I’m doing to help families through these challenging times.  

A group of people sitting at a table Description automatically generated with low confidenceI recently championed two laws through Congress to help address the formula shortage. The Formula Act removed tariffs on safe imported formula. This law is currently saving parents up to 27% on these products at checkout. The Bulk Infant Formula to Retail Shelves Act lifted tariffs on imported ‘base powder,’ a key ingredient in baby formula to help increase domestic production. Both laws were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed by President Biden. 

The Biden administration has also taken steps to increase baby formula production, help restock shelves, and lower costs for Washington families. In May, the administration launched Operation Fly Formula, which has been flying in infant formula from overseas. As of late September, Operation Fly Formula has transported nearly 98 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents to the U.S. 

If you’re struggling to find infant formula you can check out the Washington State Department of Health’s resource page for accurate information. If you have concerns about your child’s health and nutrition, contact your child’s primary care provider.  

As always, I am here to help you. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact my Kirkland office at (425) 485-0085 or delbene.house.gov. For more updates on what I’m doing for WA-01, you can follow me on social media at the links above.  

Stay safe and stay healthy,  

Suzan