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A shortage of formula has been a long-standing problem because of supply chain problems, but the situation was made even worse when Abbott -- one of the largest manufacturers of formula in the nation -- announced in February a recall of three popular brands and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, plant due to contamination concerns.

The company took the action after complaints of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport infections in infants who consumed the formula. Two of the infants died.

Parents report scrambling to find formula as the out-of-stock rate for baby formula hit 43% at the end the first week of May, according to a report from the real-time data tracking agency Datasembly.

Public outcry has garnered the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill -- providing Republicans with another line of attack against the Biden administration.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., read letters he received from worried parents and grandparents aloud the floor of the Senate on Thursday.

\"This outrageous, unacceptable situation has been unfolding in slow motion over several months,\" McConnell said. \"Much of it stems from a recall that resulted in a plant being shut down. But it seems that while President Biden's administration and the FDA knew all about this problem as it developed, they had been asleep at the switch in terms of getting production back online as fast as possible.\"

A group of House Republicans held a press conference Thursday to discuss the issue, hitting Biden for not getting ahead of the problem.

\"This is not a Third World country\" said Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. \"This should never happen in the United States.\"

\"PHOTO:
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks about inflation in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, May 10, 2022.
>

As outrage from the public intensifies, the FDA this week said it's doing \"everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it.\"

\"Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA,\" Commissioner Robert M. Califf said in a statement. \"Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.\"

Abbott has said it could restart operations at its Michigan plant within two weeks, so long as it gets a green light from the FDA. From there, it would take the company six to eight weeks to get the new product to shelves.

\"We would begin production of EleCare, Alimentum and metabolic formulas first and then begin production of Similac and other formulas,\" the company said.

ABC News' Benjamin Siegel, Mariam Khan and Benjamin Gittleson contributed to this report.

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