Hillary Clinton, Padma Lakshmi Slam Texas Governor's Statement on Baby Formula Shortage and Migrant Children

Hillary Clinton and Padma Lakshmi are among those weighing in on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's statement chiding the Biden administration for providing baby formula to immigrant children amid a nationwide shortage.

Abbott stirred controversy on Thursday, when he released a joint statement with the National Border Patrol Council (a labor union that represents border patrol agents) claiming President Joe Biden is turning "a blind eye to parents across America."

Saying that children "deserve to be put first," Abbott's statement continued: "While mothers and fathers stare at empty grocery store shelves in a panic, the Biden Administration is happy to provide baby formula to illegal immigrants coming across our southern border."

Former Secretary of State Clinton took to Twitter to share Abbott's letter, writing, "The Republican, 'pro-life' position is now that certain babies should starve."

Lakshmi, the longtime host of Bravo's Emmy-winning series Top Chef, offered a similar assessment of Abbott's remarks, writing on Twitter: "All babies should be fed. Period."

"The baby formula shortage is a nightmare for all parents and caregivers," Lakshmi continued. "Using this crisis to deny immigrant children nourishment is cruel and barbaric."

Retailers nationwide are experiencing a shortage of baby food formula that worsens each day, with new data by Datasembly showing the national out-of-stock rate hit a high of 43 percent for the first week of May.

While the shortages of some formulas first emerged late last year, amid the pandemic, they've worsened in recent months due to challenges with the supply chain, product recalls by some American manufacturers and inflation.

The White House said on Thursday it was taking steps to increase supply by working with both suppliers and retailers.

In a statement provided to Insider, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that ensuring migrants and infants "have their basic needs met" is in line with the administration's commitment to "humane processes at our border."

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The Washington Post further reports that supplying formula at border facilities is in line with the law — and was also followed by the Trump administration. The law stems from a class action lawsuit settled by the U.S. Justice Department under the Bill Clinton administration, in 1997.

As part of a settlement, the federal government is required to provide migrant children with facilities that have "access to toilets and sinks, drinking water and food as appropriate, medical assistance if the minor is in need of emergency services," and other necessities.