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 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.
U.S. health officials have told Americans to begin preparing for the
spread of the virus in the United States.
The law grants the president the power to expand industrial
production of key materials or products for national security and
other reasons. The biggest producers of face masks in the United
States include 3M Corp and Honeywell International Inc.
Trump, a Republican seeking re-election on Nov. 3, has faced
criticism from Democrats over his administration's response to the
outbreak.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar told lawmakers
this week that the United States needs a stockpile of about 300
million N95 face masks - respiratory protective devices - for
medical workers to combat the spread of the virus. The United States
currently has only a fraction of that number available for immediate
use, Azar testified.
During an interagency call on Wednesday, officials from HHS and the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discussed the possibility of
invoking the Defense Production Act for the manufacture of "personal
protective equipment" that can be worn to prevent infection,
according to a DHS official.
Such equipment can include masks, gloves and body suits.
Azar said at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that China
controls "a lot of the raw materials as well as the manufacturing
capacity" related to face masks.
"Very little of this stuff is apparently made in the (United)
States, so if we're down to domestic capability to produce, it could
get tough," the DHS official told Reuters.
A White House official confirmed that the administration was
exploring the use of the law to spur manufacturing of protective
gear. Both the DHS official and the White House requested anonymity
to discuss the issue.
"Let's say 'Company A' makes a multitude of respiratory masks but
they spend 80% of their assembly lines on masks that painters wear
and only 20% on the N95," the White House official said. "We will
have the ability to tell corporations, 'No, you change your
production line so it is now 80% of the N95 masks and 20% of the
other.'"
"It allows you to basically direct things happening that need to get
done," the official added.
HHS declined to comment. DHS did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
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'VERY LOW'
Trump said on Wednesday the coronavirus risk to the United States remained "very
low," but that federal health officials were prepared to take action and that
Vice President Mike Pence would take control of the U.S. response.
Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, on Thursday accused Trump of "towering
and dangerous incompetence" and said the president "must get his act together"
on the coronavirus threat.
Invoking the Defense Production Act is one of a number of options under
consideration by the administration to combat the virus, the officials said, and
no final decision has been made. Trump invoked the law in 2017 to address
technological shortfalls in a vaccine production capability and other items such
as microelectronics.
The law grants the president broad authority to "expedite and expand the supply
of resources from the U.S. industrial base to support military, energy, space,
and homeland security programs," according to a summary on the Federal Emergency
Management Agency website.
Azar testified on Wednesday that the United States has a stockpile of around 12
million of the N95 masks that are in line with certifications from the U.S.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). HHS also has
another 5 million N95 masks that are no longer NIOSH certified, Azar said,
perhaps because they are past the expiration date.
In addition to those masks, the U.S. government has a stockpile of 30 million
"gauze type" surgical masks, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has said are less effective because they are loose-fitting.
Azar said the government needs a stockpile of approximately 300 million N95
masks.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a written
statement on Thursday that the agency had heard reports of increased market
demand for some types of protective medical gear and "supply challenges," but
was not aware of specific shortages.
CDC Director Robert Redfield testified at a House subcommittee on Thursday that
he would ask ordinary Americans not to buy N95 masks at this time.
"There's no role for these masks in the community," he said. "These masks need
to be prioritized for healthcare professionals."
(Reporting by Ted Hesson and Alexandra Alper; Additional reporting by Michael
Erman, Jeff Mason, Mike Stone and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Ross Colvin, Will
Dunham and Daniel Wallis)
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