The Sconi

A U.S. representative from Florida is blaming the baby formula shortages throughout the nation, which is causing Wisconsin mothers to be warned of scams, on President Joe Biden’s shut down of a formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, that is exacerbated by stockpiles of supplies at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) visited McAllen, Texas on May 15 and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's warehouses at the border where there were supplies and stockpiles of baby formula, Cammack said on Facebook.

“Border Patrol agents are stockpiling supplies, including diapers and formula, and have been for months. More supplies and formula have been ordered and are on the way to the border ahead of the end of Title 42 (allow for expulsions),” Cammack said on Facebook. “CBP agents are providing formula at the border while unable to find formula for their own families. Stores just miles away in Texas are out of supplies and have placed water jugs on shelves to make them appear full.”

The baby formula shortage is the result of Biden's FDA canceling 43% of manufacturer Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan-manufactured products, Fortune reported.

After receiving news from a border patrol agent that the southern border has a baby formula stockpile for illegal migrants, Cammack made a trip to the border to see for herself. Her trip confirmed there are "multiple stock warehouses filled with baby formula." This comes during a crisis for American formula-reliant moms who are experiencing a serious shortage of the newborn necessity, according to Fox Business.

Cammack first notified the public about the border patrol report in a Facebook Live post on May 11.

“They are sending pallets, pallets of baby formula to the border,” Cammack said in the video, according to the Washington Examiner. “Meanwhile, in our own district at home, we cannot find baby formula. It is not the children's fault at all. But what is infuriating to me is that this is another example of the America last agenda that the Biden administration continues to perpetuate.”

On May 11, Cammack posted two comparison photos on her Twitter, one she received from a border patrol agent showing the full stockpile shelves at the southern border, and the other of a bare local grocery store shelf which should contain baby formula.

The formula shortage stems from an incident on Feb. 17 when Abbott Nutrition voluntarily recalled its Sturgis-manufactured products and shut down the plant following reports that four infants fell ill from bacterial infection and two died after consuming formula produced in the Michigan manufacturing plant, Fortune said. A whistleblower report, submitted to the FDA in October 2021, alleged further health and safety compliance issues at the facility and contributed to a formal inspection by the agency in early 2022.

While numerous factors have contributed to shortfalls in the amount of formula on store shelves, The Observer reports the Food and Drug Administration's dragging their feet is one of the most crucial ones. The publication said the FDA's slow reaction to whistleblower reports of tainted formula back in October of last year is being blamed, according to The Observer.

It wasn't until January 2022 that the FDA started an investigation into food safety practices at the facility – three months after the initial reports.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau has warned parents against potential scams in the wake of the national baby formula shortage.

New mothers may be open to potential online scams as they look for formula to feed their babies, the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau said in a news release. Scams can communicate with an ad, post or social media group that posts the availability of baby formula.

“The buyer contacts the seller via chat or direct message, showing photos of the cans available,” the news release said. “The buyer makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as PayPal (a BBB-accredited business) or Venmo (a BBB-accredited business), but the formula never arrives.”

The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking measures to increase the supply of baby formula. However, some Wisconsin retailers such as Walgreens, Target and CVS have limited sales of formula, Patch said.

The Biden administration on May 17 announced that an agreement between the FDA and Abbott will get the Sturgis, Michigan facility reopened and producing formula again. In another step, the administration is working with manufacturers and retailers producing formula for the U.S. market “to ensure that formula that is being produced here or coming in from abroad is quickly moving from factories to retailers,” senior administration officials said.

Abbott said in a May 13 statement that they could restart the plant, subject to FDA approval, within two weeks.

According to the Washington Post, it will be weeks until production and distribution are back to normal. Former FDA associate commissioner Peter Pitts said the situation illustrates “a serious problem across the FDA portfolio, where there are a limited number of manufacturers. Making baby formula is a sophisticated, expensive proposition, so consolidation is going to happen. The downside is when one of those facilities goes offline.”