Exclusive: U.S. mulls using sweeping powers to ramp up production of coronavirus protective gear ~ AJJ News

Thursday 27 February 2020

Exclusive: U.S. mulls using sweeping powers to ramp up production of coronavirus protective gear

February 27, 2020

President Donald Trump's administration is considering invoking special powers through a law called the Defense Production Act to rapidly expand domestic manufacturing of protective masks and clothing to combat the coronavirus in the United States, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The use of the law, passed by Congress in 1950 at the outset of the Korean War, would mark an escalation of the administration's response to the outbreak. The virus first surfaced in China and has since spread to other countries including the United States.