ABC’s legal analyst Sunny Hostin said Monday on ABC’s “The View” that she believed the nationwide baby formula shortage was, in part, happening because of America’s lack of federal paid maternity leave.
Co-host Joy Behar said, “This crisis blew up after Abbott Nutrition had a massive recall over a scare their formula had killed and sickened some infants. But they say they investigated and found no evidence that the formulas were to blame. So they’ll resume production when the FDA lets them. There are only four companies that produce formula for most Americans. So let me ask you. is it Biden’s fault, or is it a supply and demand issue because we have these supply problems right now? Whose fault is it? ”
Hostin said, “Well, I think part of the blame lies in the fact that we have a monopoly in this country. There are only four companies that produce, and we don’t import a lot of baby formula.”
She continued, “But I think the fault lies in the fact that we have terrible maternity leave because a lot of women would love to be able to stay home and breastfeed their children and take care of their children, and the fact of the matter is we can’t do that because we have very limited maternity leave, and we have to immediately go back to work to take care of our families and feed our families, and the government doesn’t support us in that, and I think that’s where the problem is.”
Hostin added, “I worked for the government, and right after I had my son, I had to borrow leave from other federal prosecutors so that I could stay home a little while longer, and I had just had a c-section. It was absolutely ridiculous. It hasn’t changed 20 years later.”
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