Navarro: Trump to 'Move Swiftly' in Expanding Defense Production Act

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said President Donald Trump is looking to "move swiftly" to ramp up the use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to develop medical supplies, The Washington Post reported.

Navarro, who referred to himself as the "DPA Policy Coordinator," said the president wants to use the act to provide federal funding to Maine-based Puritan Medical Products to produce 20 million additional swabs for testing each month.

This comes a few days after Trump announced he wanted to use the DPA to get more swabs produced for coronavirus testing.

Navarro also said the administration is thinking of drafting policies that boost the production of medical supplies in the United States even beyond the pandemic. Those would include mandates for buying medical supplies in this country.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has criticized Trump for not enforcing the DPA to companies fast enough, which, he said, has led to a shortage in much needed medical supplies.

"As Congress adds funds to DPA Title III, this invaluable tool can be strategically used to provide both surge capacity and longer run capabilities through funding key projects,” Navarro told The Washington Post.

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