During his press conference on Wednesday, President Trump announced that he will be invoking the “Defense Production Act” to combat COVID-19, a pandemic that has crippled the American economy and ground social interaction to a standstill.
So what is the “Defense Production Act” and what exact powers will it grant the president while combatting this disease? Enacted in 1950 in response to the Korean War, the act has been invoked as many as 50 times over the past 60 years+ since its creation. Essentially, the act will not only help streamline the production of medical supplies during the pandemic but will also require businesses to sign contracts or fulfill orders pertaining to national defense. Here are the three main sections of the Defense Production Act as outlined by Fox News:
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