Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act to combat coronavirus. What’s that?

President Donald Trump says he plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to help combat the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. But what’s that?

The act is “the primary source of presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of resources from the U.S. industrial base to support military, energy, space, and homeland security programs,” according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“The Defense Production Act permits the president to push national security items to the front of the line, rather than following items that were previously ordered,” said Loren Thompson, a defense industry consultant and military expert at the Lexington Institute, USA Today reported. “It exists to speed up urgently needed items.”

The decision comes amid fears that U.S. hospitals may run short of masks, ventilators and other needed supplies.

“Right after we finish this conference, I’ll be signing it and it’s prepared to go,” Trump said at the briefing.

Critics, however, said Trump should have invoked the act weeks ago, USA Today reported. “As a result, America is not as ready as we should be,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.

Coronavirus, first reported in China, has swept across Asia and now has sparked new outbreaks in Europe and the United States.

More than 222,000 cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 9,000 deaths as of March 19, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 9,400 confirmed cases with at least 150 deaths.

The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic. In the United States, Trump has declared a national emergency.

The Defense Production Act dates back to 1950 during the war in Korea, CNN reported. The Trump administration has reportedly been considering invoking it for weeks to speed up production of masks and other protective gear needed to help fight the virus.

The act basically allows Trump “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, Yahoo News reports.

Officials at the briefing also said the U.S. Navy plans to deploy a hospital ship to New York Harbor to free hospital beds by treating trauma patients, Business Insider reports. A second hospital ship based in San Diego, California, also will be deployed to hard-hit areas.

In addition, Trump said health officials are looking into producing a “self-swab” test allowing people to check themselves for the virus at home, Politico reported. He offered few details at the briefing.

“It would free up a lot,” Trump said, according to the publication. It would be a “much easier process than the current process that’s not very nice to do — I can tell you, because I did it. But we have a current process that’s a little bit difficult, if you haven’t done,” Trump added.

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act to combat coronavirus. What’s that?."