House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Powers Act to ramp up the production of critical supplies needed to address the coronavirus, including ventilators and testing supplies.
“Right now, shortages of critical medical and personal protective equipment are harming our ability to fight the coronavirus epidemic, endangering front-line workers and making it harder to care for those who fall ill,” said Pelosi, a California Democrat.
Trump announced he signed the act in order to authorize him to use it, but that he had not yet used it. Healthcare workers have reported a lack of protective gear, such as masks.
Pelosi said Trump needs to start using the act “to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies, before the need worsens and the shortages become even more dire.”
