Andrew Yang Says Nationwide Baby Formula Shortage Is 'Incomprehensible': 'I am Furious'

Andrew Yang is expressing his anger as the nationwide baby formula shortage worsens each day.

While speaking to PEOPLE at Gold House's Gold Gala event on Saturday, the former presidential candidate, 47, said it's "incomprehensible" for the United States to experience a shortage to this extent.

Reports by Datasembly showed 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 heightened in recent months due to challenges with the supply chain, product recalls by some American manufacturers and inflation.

"I think it's incomprehensible that in 2022, the wealthiest country in the world is struggling with providing something so basic to so many families," Yang, a father of two, tells PEOPLE. "And I've been a parent, my family's used formula. So I would be frantic, but also furious. I am furious on behalf of the families that are struggling with this right now."

"I'm certain that there's more that we can do, because you can import supply from other countries. You can see to it that the manufacturing facility that has been shut down gets up and running as soon as humanly possible," he continues. "You have tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of families who are struggling with feeding their infants and children. It makes me angry and I know I'm not alone."

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President Joe Biden is taking steps to ameliorate effects of the shortage, the White House said last week, after Abbott Nutrition, the nation's largest manufacturer of infant formula, recalled products made in a Michigan plant back in late February due to possible contamination of cronobacter and salmonella.

Abbott Nutrition also released a statement last week, outlining steps it has taken since February to "get as much product into the hands of parents as we can."

"We understand the situation is urgent — getting Sturgis up and running will help alleviate this shortage," the company said. "Subject to FDA approval, we could restart the site within two weeks."

Robert Ford, Abbott Laboratories CEO, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post Saturday and vowed that by the end of June, the company "will be supplying more formula to Americans than we were in January before the recall."