Smith Bill to Help Ease Infant Formula Shortage Signed into Law

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Lead Republican of the House Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee, released the following statement on enactment of the Formula Act, Smith's bipartisan legislation to temporarily suspend tariffs on FDA-approved infant formula:

"I thank President Biden for signing the Formula Act. No family should worry whether shelves will be stocked with the formula they need to feed their infants. While I certainly wish the president would have acted sooner—and we're still waiting on a comprehensive plan to address the shortage of infant formula—families need action now. This measure will help make formula more accessible and affordable by easing tariffs on imported, FDA-approved products while domestic production ramps back up. This is a step in the right direction, but our work cannot end here. We must ensure a crisis like this never happens again."

In June, Smith was the Republican co-lead on H.R. 8174, the Affordable and Accessible Infant Formula Act. On July 13, 2022, the Formula Act (H.R. 8351) was introduced with minor technical changes to mirror Senator Mike Lee's (R-UT) bill. H.R. 8351 overwhelmingly passed the House on a 421-2 vote on July 15, 2022, and passed the Senate unanimously on July 21, 2022. On Friday, the White House announced President Biden had signed the bill.

Read more about Smith's leadership on the Formula Act here. Watch his remarks on the House floor here.

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