March 30, 2020—President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon activated the Defense Production Act, telling his administration to order General Motors to prioritize contracts to produce breathing ventilators, reported The Detroit Free Press.
He issued a memorandum Friday afternoon telling Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to use “any and all authority available under the Defense Production Act to require General Motors to accept, perform, and prioritize Federal contracts for ventilators.” The Defense Production Act allows the president to force industries to accept and meet federal contracts and prioritize production to meet emergency preparedness needs.
GM had said more than a week ago it would try to move resources into making ventilators, but it became apparent that the company might not be able to produce the quantity required in short order.
