The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Washington focuses on formula shortage

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING 

Suppliers, this means you: 

President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to ease the baby formula shortage in the U.S. 

What that effectively means, according to The Hills Morgan Chalfant: “The White House announced in a fact sheet that Biden would use the Cold War-era law to require suppliers to ‘direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good.’” 

More on how to the administration is trying to fix the problem 

‘WHAT PARENTS DID BEFORE BABY FORMULA’:  

The Atlantic’s Carla Cevasco writes, “The history of infant feeding before modern formula should caution us against gloating, as some have on social media, that the formula shortage will drive more parents to breastfeed. The past offers us a grim warning: Without safe, nutritionally complete alternatives to breast milk, infants will die.” The full story 

What is Congress doing about it?: 

The House passed two bills yesterday to ease the national shortage of infant formula.  

The main bill: It would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) $28 million in emergency funding. 

The vote: The bill passed 231-192, mostly along party lines 

Why most Republicans voted against the bill: Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of “covering up the administration’s ineptitude by throwing additional money at the FDA with no plan to actually fix the problem, all while failing to hold the FDA accountable.” The list of the 12 Republicans who bucked their party and voted in favor of the bill 

➤WHAT HAPPENS NOW?: 
“The bills were put forward by House Democrats and their fate is uncertain in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [(N.Y.)] indicated on Wednesday that lawmakers will try to pass something in the Senate through a unanimous consent request, which could be blocked by the objection of any single senator.” More from CNN

IT’S THURSDAY. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

🏛 News this morning 

Pete Williams is a legend:

NBC News’ Pete Williams is retiring in July after a decades-long career of covering the Justice Department and Supreme Court — including breaking numerous historic stories. 

From NBC News President Noah Oppenheim: “For generations of [NBC News] reporters, working alongside Pete has been a daily masterclass in journalism. More importantly, it has been a masterclass in what it means to be a good colleague.” 

More on the significance of his retirement: The Washington Post’s Jeremy Barr describes his “epic Washington career.”

🗳 On the campaign trail 

Should I stay or will I go? Dun, dun, buh, bun, dun, dun:

The question everyone in Washington, D.C., is asking is whether President Biden will run for another term in 2024. 

What’s Biden saying about it?: “The 79-year-old Democrat and his closest allies say he wants a second White House term and plans to run again. Biden told former President Barack Obama he intends to launch another bid.”  

So, we have our answer, right? Not quite: “But that hasn’t silenced the whispered questions about whether he will do so given his age — he will be 81 in November 2024 — and his rocky approval ratings. The party is also bracing for a difficult midterm election season, and some think negative results could change the president’s calculations.” How it could play out if Biden does *not* run again, via The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Hanna Trudo.

Were you in DC on Jan. 6, 2021? No biggie. You can run:

“Republican candidates who were in Washington, D.C., during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection won primary elections to appear on the November ballot in North Carolina and Idaho on Tuesday, while one of the few Republicans who refused to go along with a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results lost a bid for a new term in Idaho.” 

What this means for the midterms, via The Hill’s Reid Wilson 

➤ ‘GOP LAWMAKERS SAY PRIMARIES SHOW TRUMP’S FIRM GRIP ON PARTY’: 
Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton

In the White House 

The JB seal of approval:

Via The New York Times’s David E. Sanger, “President Biden formally endorsed Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO on Wednesday, while also issuing a carefully-worded warning to Russia that the U.S. would help defend the countries in the interim before they become members of the alliance covered by its commitment that ‘an attack on one is as attack on all.’” What this would mean internationally

➤ HAPPENING AT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY: 
The prime minister of Sweden and the president of Finland just met with President Biden at the White House. 

Photo of Biden welcoming them to the White House: Via Reuters’ Steve Holland 

Video of the joint press conference: It started around 10:30 a.m. EDT.

🦠 Latest on COVID 

➤ BY THE NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 82.6 million 

Death toll: 997,887 

Current hospitalizations: 17,951 

Shots administered: 582 million 

Fully vaccinated: 66.5 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets 

It’s almost intern season!:

District Media Group’s Evie Solheim tweeted, “DC LADIES – Intern season is almost upon us here in DC. What’s your advice to interns who want to make the most of this summer?” There’s some great advice in the replies. 

Getting traction — everyone, including Bush, cringed a bit: 

During remarks about Ukraine, former President George W. Bush made an awkward gaffe. 

Bush said: “The decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq. I mean of Ukraine.” He paused and then joked, “75,” referring to his age. Watch the video. 

Back story to the gaffe, which Fox News referred to as “unfortunate.” 

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is on his way to South Korea. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. 

• 8:30 a.m. EDT: Biden received his daily brief. 
• 9:15 a.m. EDT: Biden and Harris met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö to discuss their NATO applications. 
• 11 a.m. EDT: House votes. Today’s House agenda 
• 11:30 a.m. EDT: President Biden left for South Korea. 
• 11:30 a.m. EDT: Two Senate votes on the Ukraine aid package. Today’s Senate agenda 
• 1:45 p.m. EDT: Two more Senate votes. 

📺What to watch 

• 10:30 a.m. EDT: President Biden, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö held a joint press conference. Livestream 
• 2:05 p.m. EDT: Vice President Harris holds a virtual meeting with abortion providers. Livestream 
• 3:30 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One. Livestream 

🧁 In lighter news 

Today is National Devil’s Food Cake Day.

I am cackling: 

Creighton University professor Victoria Haneman tweeted a photo of a security question on an iPad that serves as a child block. “There is a lot to process with this new parental verification on my child’s iPad,” she tweeted. The parental security question 

CNN’s Jake Tapper responded with his own parental verification question: Though I argue you would likely not know this answer if you are currently a parent of young children.   

^ Go ahead. Tell me I’m wrong. Email is cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com 😉  

And to leave you with a smile, here’s a dog with absolutely no chill.