"Trump Administration Invoked Defense Protection Act All the Time, But Stalled for the Coronavirus" - New York Magazine
"Despite expanded DPA, confusion reigns over coronavirus industrial response"
- Politico
Hello --
More than 300,000 times every year.
That's how frequently President Trump's administration has put into use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to compel industry to produce goods deemed necessary for national security.
Despite pleas to invoke the full powers of the DPA from the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the Trump administration has been dragging its feet, creating confusion and causing life-threatening delays in the production and procurement of medical equipment and protective gear.
It's unbelievable.
If we do not take swift action, we are asking medical professionals and local governments across the country to confront a deadly virus without the resources needed to do it.
That's why I am once again urging President Trump stop his slow-rolling, piecemeal approach to the Defense Production Act. He must invoke the act's full powers immediately. Add your name if you agree.
President Trump has a duty to coordinate a response that enables America to optimize the full value of our collective resources in both the public and private sector.
And the DPA gives powers far beyond manufacturing masks, ventilators, and respiratory gear.
We desperately need to solve the problem of state and local governments competing against each other. Rural communities, like New York's 19th District, are facing acute shortages, not only when it comes to equipment, but also access to care and personnel on the ground.
If President Trump were to use the full authority of the DPA, the federal government could step in and allocate equipment and people based on need -- not politics or market forces.
And the DPA will be crucial to preparing for the mass manufacture and distribution of a vaccine that scientists are working around the clock to develop.
So, will you join me in calling on President Trump to bring to bear every asset we have at our disposal in the fight against COVID-19? Add your name if you agree that we must use the full authority of the Defense Production Act now.
Now is the time for clear-eyed leadership and bold action.
Stay safe.
Antonio Delgado
