President Joe Biden is on a trip to Asia and landed in South Korea, following which he signed two American bills of legislation as both of them require immediate attention. The president signed the Ukraine Bill that gives additional aid to the war torn country while the Access to Baby Formula Act will give some respite to moms and babies in the nation who are suffering from a shortage of baby formula due to several reasons.
The Ukraine Bill was passed 86-11 by the Senate when Biden was en route to Seoul, South Korea on Air Force One. An aide flew on a commercial flight with a copy of both the bills. The president signed the bills before a dinner with the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Although the Ukraine bill was passed with bipartisan support, the 11 senators who voted against the bill were Republicans.
The Access to Baby Formula Act gives Americans who are on WIC, a food assistance program by the government, greater flexibility to buy baby formula. A shutdown of Abbot Nutrition by the FDA due to health hazards in its baby formula plant in Michigan was a major reason reason for the shortage of baby formula in the nation. Other reasons included supply chain issues as well as reported gouging by some.
President Biden has tried to balance national and international issues. He will be proceeding to Japan following his trip to South Korea as he expands teh nation’s ties with Asia-Pacific. He is expected to return to Washington, on Tuesday. However, both the bills were signed by him when he was away from the nation as they are of national and international importance.
Since the president has signed these bills the Access to Baby Formula Act will help more American families get formula faster and the Ukraine bill would help the country get aid faster as its president Zelensky said that they were running out of funds and supplies.