Illinois congressman seeks enforceable infant food standards and answers on Federal Bureau of Investigation staffing in Georgia election inquiry

By: IndoUS Tribune Washington Bureau

Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has stepped up oversight of two federal agencies, urging stronger action on toxic heavy metals in baby food and seeking answers over reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation reassigned hundreds of personnel to a probe involving the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat who serves on the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said both issues raise serious questions about public safety, government accountability and the proper use of federal authority.

Pressing health officials on baby food safety

In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Krishnamoorthi called for comprehensive and enforceable federal limits on toxic heavy metals in infant formula and baby food.

The request follows years of congressional scrutiny after Krishnamoorthi’s earlier investigation identified elevated levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury in several commercially available baby food products.

Citing recent scientific research, he said researchers can now use children’s baby teeth to trace early-life exposure to toxic metals and connect those findings with measurable differences in brain development and later behavioral outcomes.

“Five years after my congressional investigation first exposed dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals in baby food, the scientific case for action has only grown stronger while HHS’s failure to act has become increasingly indefensible,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

He said infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable because their brains and nervous systems are still developing, making even low levels of toxic metal exposure potentially harmful over a lifetime.

Krishnamoorthi asked the department to respond by Thursday on steps taken since January last year to reduce contamination, future regulatory plans, scientific and legal reasons for any refusal to set enforceable standards, delays in providing a previous congressional briefing and the studies or risk assessments used by the department.

Questions over Federal Bureau of Investigation resources

In a separate statement, Krishnamoorthi responded to a media report that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had directed more than 200 staff members to assist an investigation related to the 2020 presidential election in Georgia’s Fulton County.

He said the report raises important questions about the Bureau’s priorities and whether the deployment of personnel affected other public safety responsibilities.

“The FBI exists to protect the American people and uphold the rule of law,” Krishnamoorthi said, calling for Congress to receive a full accounting of the legal authority for the investigation, the number of personnel assigned and the impact on other law enforcement work.

He urged Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel to provide an immediate explanation to Congress.

Continued oversight focus

The two actions reflect Krishnamoorthi’s broader focus on executive branch oversight. His letter to the Department of Health and Human Services seeks stronger food safety protections for infants, while his request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation focuses on transparency in the use of federal investigative resources.

Neither agency had publicly responded to Krishnamoorthi’s latest requests at the time of publication.

Editor’s note: The statements summarized in this report were issued by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s congressional office. IndoUS Tribune has reached out to the relevant federal agencies for comment. Any responses received will be included in future coverage.