On March 23, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Steven Grundman was quoted in a Vox article on the Defense Production Act (DPA) and its implications for the coronavirus outbreak. The article argued that “Trump’s excuses for not using the Defense Production Act are wrong – and dangerous.” Understanding the implications of defense industry and policy for the current struggle against COVID-19 is essential in this moment of uncertainty.
The use of the DPA not only wouldn’t, it couldn’t, socialize the American economy.