President Trump announced that he will be invoking the Defense Production Act to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The United States has been running low on hospital beds and ventilators for patients suffering from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, as well as masks for the hospital workers treating them.
The Defense Production Act of 1950 allows the president to incentivize companies to make products deemed necessary to combat nationwide threats. The policy allows the president to go as far as forcing companies to produce products, if needed.
Trump said during a Wednesday press conference that he would make the action official following the briefing but added that the order is only being issued “in case” the federal government needs it.
“I will be invoking the Defense Production Act, just in case we need it. In other words, I think you all know what it is. And it can do a lot of good things if we need it,” he said. “We will have it all completed, signing it in just a little while, right after I’m finished with this conference, I’ll be signing it. It’s prepared to go.”
The shortage of medical masks in the U.S. left some hospitals making their own out of office supplies. Many private companies have already been working to address the shortage without the government compelling them to do so.
