President Donald Trump is being called on by a coalition of 16 attorneys general to fully use the Defense Production Act to dramatically increase the production of personal protective equipment needed by healthcare workers, law enforcement and other first responders fighting the coronavirus.
"We are on the brink of catastrophic consequences resulting from the continued shortage of critical supplies," states a letter from the group. "The federal government must act decisively now and use its sweeping authority to get as many needed supplies produced as soon as possible for distribution as quickly as possible."
The letter came from the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
Trump has balked at using the DPA, saying it would be equivalent to nationalizing entire industries. He also said it went against free-market principles.
The DPA allows the president to pressure or even force private industries to produce products deemed necessary for the nation's defense.
Many companies are voluntarily producing PPE, including Ford, General Motors, Nike, and Tesla. Also, alcohol distilleries are providing its services to make hand sanitizers, Trump announced at a recent coronavirus task force briefing.
The global death toll from the virus surpassed 20,000 on Wednesday and the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide climbed to more than 454,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.