For weeks now, Republicans in Congress have been excoriating the Biden administration for the shortage of infant baby formula in the United States, even though blame squarely lies with Abbott Laboratories, which had to shut down a manufacturing facility in Michigan after it was discovered some of their formula was contaminated with a dangerous bacteria.
To help solve the problem, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he was invoking the Defense Production Act and would also be allowing for an increase in imports of baby formula to the U.S.
And yet, when Republicans were given the chance to help babies in poor families get access to more formula, nine members of the House GOP voted no to expansion of a program that would do exactly that, according to Newsweek:
The Access to Baby Formula Act, also known as H.R. 7791, would allow low-income women to buy more baby formula through the federal Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program.
It received a 414-9 bipartisan support in a House vote on Wednesday amid the formula shortage crisis in the country.
The nine lawmakers who voted about the bill were all Republicans. They are: Reps. Andy Biggs (Arizona), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Clay Higgins (Louisiana), Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Chip Roy (Texas).
Attempting to explain his heartless vote, Gaetz remarked:
“It will allow WIC to utilize a far greater portion of the baby formula market, crowding out many hard-working American families.
“All considered, government-empowered swings to markets typically create more problems than they solve. Instead of creating new emergency authorities for the Incompetent Biden Regime, we should source more product for all American families and solve the problem.”
Bullshit! Gaetz and his eight colleagues don’t give a damn about poor children, especially if they happen to be from families of color.
The next time you hear a Republican mention the “sanctity of life,” keep in mind that’s just a talking point they use during election season. The rest of the time, they don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves.
