President Trump on Friday invoked the Defense Protection Act to force General Motors to produce ventilators to aid in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Trump utilized certain provisions of the DPA, first used as a wartime measure, last week, but since many companies immediately shifted their usual manufacturing to medical supply production, he didn't feel a need to invoke the part of the Act that can compel any company to produce supplies. Trump noted negotiations with GM had been ongoing, but said GM was "wasting time" at a critical point in the response effort, so the government will now "require General Motors to accept, perform, and prioritize federal contracts for ventilators." COVID-19 hotspots have reported ventilator shortages, and the shortage is expected to become more dire.

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