Baby formula shortage leads to congressional scrutiny of FDA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faces congressional lawmakers for the first time Thursday over the shortage of baby formula that has rattled American parents and become a growing political liability for President Joe Biden.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf's appearance before a House subcommittee comes just hours after Biden announced a stepped-up response to the issue: invoking the Defense Production Act to speed domestic manufacturing and authorizing flights to import formula from overseas.

Califf is the first administration official to testify before Congress on the issue, which has left some parents hunting for formula and become a talking point for Republicans. Behind the shortage are several distinct issues, including supply disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the recent shutdown of the largest U.S. formula factory.

Earlier this week, the FDA announced several steps to address the problem, including a preliminary agreement with formula maker Abbott Nutrition to reopen its plant, which has been shuttered since February due to contamination. The agency is also streamlining the process for international manufacturers to import more formula.

Members of a House Appropriations subcommittee have signaled that they will ask Califf why the FDA didn't act sooner to help head off the supply challenges. Lawmakers have also suggested the FDA missed opportunities to catch the problems at Abbott's plant as early as last fall.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., recently released a whistleblower complaint alleging numerous safety violations at Abbott's plant, including employees falsifying records and failing to properly test formula before releasing it. She said the former Abbott employee alerted the FDA to the situation in October but was not interviewed by agency staff until late...