House GOP campaign arm launches ad campaign aimed at new parents over formula shortage

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting new parents with a five-figure ad campaign hitting Democrats over their handling of the baby formula shortage in the U.S.

The 20-second spot ties House Democrats to President Biden’s handling of the issue, accusing them both of “failing to fix the crisis” while a baby is heard crying continuously through the ad.

“It’s outrageous that Democrats managed the supply chain so poorly that there is a nationwide baby formula shortage,” said NRCC Communications Director Michael McAdams. “Democrats are too incompetent to govern.”

The Hill was the first outlet to report on the ad campaign.

The NRCC’s campaign is the latest move in the political blame game over the country’s baby formula shortage. Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hit House Republicans for voting against legislation that would allocate $28 million to boost resources at the Food and Drug Administration to help alleviate the baby formula shortage.

The legislation, known as the Infant Formula Supply Appropriations Act, passed along a 231-192 vote mostly along party lines. Twelve Republicans voted to support it, while four Republicans and one Democratic lawmaker did not participate in the vote.

“If Republicans had it their way the formula shortage would continue so they could cynically exploit recalls for political gain and racial divide,” said DCCC spokesperson Chris Taylor. “Democrats worked to deliver solutions, but when given the opportunity to solve problems Republicans abandoned the American people.”

House Republicans argued the legislation would not have helped put formula back on store shelves.

The baby formula shortage was caused by a combination of supply chain snarls and Abbott, a major manufacturer of formula, recalling and temporarily closing a manufacturing plant because of safety issues.

On Sunday, the first plane carrying roughly 78,000 pounds of baby formula arrived in the U.S. from Germany. Additional planes carrying baby formula are expected in the coming days. The Biden administration as dubbed the effort “Operation Fly Formula.”