Harder Demands Congressional Investigation into Baby Formula Collusion Scandal
Formula manufacturers including Abbott are under investigation by the FTC for potentially colluding to rip off taxpayers and families
During lastyear’s baby formula shortage, Rep. Harder struggled to find formula for his newborn daughter
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-9) demanded a congressional investigation into potential wrongdoing by infant formula manufacturers including Abbott Laboratories, who were at the center of the baby formula shortage last year. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced they are investigating formula makers for potentially colluding while negotiating taxpayer-funded programs.
“The baby formula shortage last year was a parent’s worst nightmare, we literally couldn’t feed our kids. And the more I’ve dug into it, the more I’ve realized how corrupt these formula manufacturers are,” said Rep. Harder. “First, they didn’t have enough formula and we bailed them out. Now, they have potentially been colluding to steal taxpayer money? I’m calling for a full congressional investigation to hold these companies accountable. Enough is enough.”
Rep. Harder is calling for:
A full-scale congressional investigation into predatory practices by manufacturers of infant formula – specifically, any unlawful efforts to increase their own profits at the expense of taxpayers;
Strong penalties and fines for this type of predatory behavior;
And ending non-compete agreements that have given a small handful of large corporations full control of the baby formula market.
Abbott – which controls almost half of US formula production – has been under investigation for their practices that led to the contamination-related closure of one of their facilities last year. That closure set off last year’s nationwide baby formula shortage crisis. Rep. Harder had to secure $28 million in emergency funding to address the infant formula shortage last year.
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