Democrats argued that increasing funding for inspections would help bolster supplies by expediting sourcing of formula from new domestic and international suppliers, which must be FDA-approved.
The House bill was opposed by Republicans who said it offered a blank cheque to the FDA without securing an immediate boost in formula supply. “I wouldn’t understand why anyone would not want to move as quickly as we can, with giving people the wherewithal to get the product to bring it back here. Because this is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue,” said House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, the bill’s sponsor. “This is about the risk and the life of babies in this country.”
Blunt said it would be unusual for the Senate to spend a week of debate time on a spending bill that small.