This week, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., showcased her support for a proposal to “expand and promote access to donor breast milk which is a healthy and safe alternative to infant formula or breast milk directly from the baby’s mother when supply is short.”
U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., introduced the “Access to Donor Milk Act (ADMA)” last week with Salazar and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., as co-sponsors.
Salazar’s office stressed the bill would help when the nation faces infant formula shortages.
“In February, a Food and Drug Administration recall of Abbott infant formula, combined with preexisting supply chain disruptions, market concentration, and import restrictions on the product, led to a severe nationwide shortage of infant formula in the United States that many regions of the country are still recovering from according to local news reports,” Salazar’s office noted.
“Today, we took an important step forward for families by introducing a comprehensive bill to improve access to donor breast milk – a safe and vital lifeline for many medically vulnerable infants across this country,” said Houlahan. “We are building a broad coalition of support in the House and Senate, and I will keep working to deliver results for those in need. Especially in the wake of the infant formula crisis, we must be using all of the tools at our disposal to help children and families.”
“Feeding and nourishing our infants should be as easy as possible whether parents use breast milk, formula, or donor milk,” said Salazar. “As a mother of two beautiful daughters, I am proud to co-lead legislation that will, especially in times of crisis, help suppliers meet demand for safe and healthy donor milk.”
“Fortunately, in the Fifth Congressional District, we have the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank which provides safe pasteurized milk for families,” said Bice. “For a variety of reasons, not all mothers can breastfeed, which has critical health benefits for young children. This bipartisan legislation will promote healthy families and help mitigate the impacts of any future infant formula shortages.“
More than a dozen groups have backed the proposal.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Energy and Commerce and the Education and Labor Committees. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.
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