President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. will make three times more ventilators over the next 100 days than it typically produces in a year.
Speaking from the White House, Mr. Trump said the pace of production will depend on companies that he is asking — or compelling, through the Defense Production Act — to prioritize federal orders for the life-saving machines.
Ventilators are machines that help people breathe. The coronavirus disease, COVID-19, causes respiratory distress, so ventilators are considered the most vital piece of equipment for hospitals battling the pandemic.
Governors are pressuring Mr. Trump to use the full weight of his powers to produce medical equipment and protective gear for health workers on the front lines. Nearly 137,000 people had become infected with the coronavirus as of late Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
Over 2,400 have died and 2,600 have recovered.
Mr. Trump met Sunday with several supply chain distributors in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Spaced several feet apart, the attendees included executives from FedEx and McKesson, a well-known pharmaceutical distributor, among others.
Mr. Trump thanked General Motors for working hard on the ventilator issue, just two days after he used complained about negotiations with the company and ordered them to produce the machines under the production act.
He also praised Boeing, Ford, Honeywell and Haines for stepping forward to produce ventilators or other medical equipment.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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