Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004

CHILD NUTRITION AND WIC REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2004 -- (House of Representatives - June 24, 2004)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of S. 2507, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, which includes language that I offered to stop infant formula theft.

Stolen infant formula is a major problem throughout the country, including the State of Texas.
In 2003, international crime rings stole as much as $2.5 million worth of baby formula a month in Texas, and testimony
before Congress revealed that some of the proceeds may go to fund terrorism.

After being stolen, the formula was stored and sometimes repackaged with phony expiration dates, then it was sold to
small convenience stores in the United States.

This legislation requires State agencies to license and maintain a list of infant formula manufacturers, wholesalers,
distributors, and retailers approved to provide infant formula to vendors.

This section closes a loophole that would allow crime rings to steal infant formula and resell this formula to retailers,
who often are unaware that the formula was stolen.

This list would include food manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers licensed in the State to distribute
infant formula and food manufacturers registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that provide infant
formula, with vendors required to purchase infant formula from the list.

The stolen formula is often resold to customers using vouchers from the federally funded Women, Infants, and

Children program.

I want to thank Education and the Workforce Chairman JOHN BOEHNER and the Subcommittee on Education
Reform Chairman MICHAEL CASTLE, along with this staff, Kate Howston and Stephanie Milburn for their important
work on this legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I urge that my colleagues support this important legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT