House GOP seeks interviews with FDA officials over baby formula shortage

Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Chairwoman Lisa McClain on Wednesday called on officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to answer questions related to the 2022 baby formula shortage.

The Michigan Republican seeks eight transcribed interviews with a number of senior FDA officials in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, as well as security and investigative personnel, one national expert, and a medical director with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

"The more the Oversight Committee uncovers in our investigation into internal failures at the FDA which led our nation into an infant formula crisis, the more questions we have for the FDA," McClain said in a statement. "Multiple former FDA officials have now come before our committee and testified that the infant formula crisis was exacerbated by dysfunction and slow responsiveness by the FDA."

"We believe where there is smoke, there is fire," she continued. "We need to hear from more officials directly involved at the FDA about the lack of structures in place to prevent a crisis like this, and about actions that have or have not been taken to prevent a similar crisis from happening again."

"We are going to ensure agencies are held accountable and find solutions to better protect American families in the future," she vowed.

McClain demanded in March that FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf provide the House with documents related to agency's handling of the shortage, including communications with the White House on the matter.

The supply shortages in early 2022 attracted considerable scrutiny of the Biden administration. The president himself admitted in June of that year that he did not realize the impact of closing the Abbott baby formula plant, a move that partially contributed to the shortage.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.