President Joe Biden claimed on May 13 that his administration could have been better prepared for the national baby formula shortage if they had been better “mind-readers.”
On Monday, his top official at the Department of Health and Human Services appeared to contradict that statement, claiming that his department and the Food and Drug Administration had known about the issue since last year.
On Monday, CNN asked HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra if he was “satisfied” with the government’s response to the issue. The HHS chief affirmed that the administration was moving with urgency and has been since “last year.”
“From everything I’ve known, the FDA has kept me apprised of this from last year,” he responded. “We have been moving as quickly as we can.”
CNN: “You are satisfied with the government’s response throughout [the baby formula shortage]?”
HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra: “FDA has kept me apprised of this from LAST YEAR. We have been moving as quickly as we can”
