Trump Uses Defense Production Act to Order GM to Make Ventilators

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What's the story?

• President Donald Trump on Friday leveraged the Defense Production Act (DPA) to order General Motors to start producing ventilators for patients affected by the novel coronavirus.
• “Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course,” Trump said in a statement.

“GM was wasting time. Today’s action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives.”

• Various governors and lawmakers had been asking Trump to invoke the DPA to order American manufacturers to create medical equipment, citing a shortage of supplies.
• On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he doesn't have enough ventilators available to properly care for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

"FEMA says, 'we're sending 400 ventilators. Really? What am I going to do with 40 ventilators when I need 30,000?"

• Trump signed the DPA on March 18, but said at the time that he "only signed the [DPA] to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. " He had been apprehensive to use its powers, telling Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday night:

"I haven't had to use [the DPA]. We had Ford step up, General Motors step up, 3M step up, so many companies stepped up and they're making vast amounts of things but when you talk about ventilators, that's sort of like buying a car. It's very expensive, it's a very intricate piece of equipment, heavily computerized and the good ones are very very expensive."

• But all that changed Friday, when Trump accused GM of dragging their feet.

What do you think?

Do you support Trump's order? Should he order additional businesses to create medical supplies? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman