According to a report from CNN, President Trump has told people around him that he's facing pressure to utilize the powers given to him by the Defense Production Act. The report comes after Trump faced an avalanche of criticism from those who say he's dragging his feet on mandating private companies to produce medical supplies to help aid the fight against coronavirus.
Trump signed the act last week but has yet to act on it. The act has received pushback from business leaders who say it will cause them to lose profits.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the act as "the primary source of presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of resources from the US industrial base to support military, energy, space and homeland security programs."
CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports that there has been an "internal divide in the West Wing over whether to move forward" with the act or to continue to let companies "voluntarily" ramp up production of medical supplies without orders from the federal government.
"Two people familiar with the President's thinking said he's now languishing in a place where neither side is satisfied by his moves on Defense Production Act," Collins writes. "Those who wanted him to sign the act aren't pleased because he did but isn't using it. And the people who didn't want him to sign it aren't because he did, while holding out hope he won't actually use it."
Read the full report over at CNN.
