President Trump said Tuesday he was not prepared to invoke the authorities to allow the government to ensure that the private sector can ramp up production of emergency medical supplies, despite a growing chorus of voices urging him to do so.
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Tuesday he was not prepared to invoke the authorities that would allow the government to ensure that the private sector can ramp up production of emergency medical supplies, despite a growing chorus of voices urging him to do so.
The Defense Production Act was enacted during the Cold War to allow the president to cajole — and even coerce — industry into producing products deemed necessary for national defense. In this case, the DPA would allow the U.S. government “to incentivize a company who already makes [emergency medical supplies] to make more of them,” said Jeff Bialos, a veteran Washington attorney who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial affairs in the Clinton White House.
The White House was reported to be considering invoking the DPA almost three weeks ago, in late February. But at the time, Trump was dismissing the coronavirus threat. “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” Trump said then, adding that there were only 15 cases in the country, and promising that “the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.
Trump is “being reactive. He’s saying we don’t need it yet,” Zakheim said. “There’s enough doctors out there saying we do need it right now.”
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