Trump invokes Defense Production Act to force GM to make ventilators after stalled talks

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President Trump said Friday that he had directed Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to require General Motors to begin making ventilators under the Defense Production Act to combat the coronavirus pandemic after negotiations with the automaker had stalled.

“Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too great to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course,” Trump said in a statement, adding: “GM was wasting time.”

Experts say the U.S. is hundreds of thousands of breathing machines short of what it likely will need to treat a rapidly rising number of COVID-19 patients. New York, Michigan, Louisiana and the state of Washington have been singled out as virus hot spots in the U.S.

In a statement, GM said it has been “working around the clock for over a week” with medical device company Ventec Life Systems and parts suppliers to build more ventilators. The company said its commitment to build Ventec’s ventilators “has never wavered.”

“The partnership between Ventec and GM combines global expertise in manufacturing quality and a joint commitment to safety to give medical professionals and patients access to life-saving technology as rapidly as possible,” the statement went on. “The entire GM team is proud to support this initiative.”

Trump said that while the White House activated the act against GM, it may not be needed. “Maybe we won’t even need the full activation. We’ll find out,” Trump said Friday in the Oval office. – READ MORE

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