President Trump says he is invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) to clear up supply chain problems encountered in the manufacturing of medical ventilators.
“Today, I have issued an order under the Defense Production Act to more fully ensure that domestic manufacturers can produce ventilators needed to save American lives," Trump said in a statement.
The statement also said this order will help domestic manufacturers “secure the supplies they need to build ventilators needed to defeat the virus.”
The use of the DPA will remove supply chain obstacles that threaten the production of ventilators, the statement added.
“Today’s order will save lives by removing obstacles in the supply chain that threaten the rapid production of ventilators,” the statement said.
The order directs Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to "use any and all authority available under the Act to facilitate the supply of materials to the appropriate subsidiary or affiliate of the following entities for the production of ventilators: General Electric Company; Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.; Medtronic Public Limited Company; ResMed Inc.; Royal Philips N.V.; and Vyaire Medical, Inc."