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Trump invokes Defense Production Act to force GM to make ventilators for coronavirus fight
nbcnews.com ^ | March 27, 2020 | Dartunorro Clark

Posted on 03/27/2020 3:36:01 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

President Donald Trump invoked the rarely used Defense Production Act on Friday to order the Department of Health and Human Services to compel General Motors to manufacturer ventilators hours after he sharply criticized the company for slow-walking production.

"Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course," Trump said in a statement. "GM was wasting time. Today’s action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives."

Trump, in a tweet on Friday, excoriated General Motors and its CEO, Mary Barra, for not moving quickly enough to produce needed ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic and wanting “top dollar” for the contract.

“As usual with ‘this’ General Motors, things just never seem to work out,” Trump tweeted. “They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, ‘very quickly’. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke ‘P.’”

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: coronavirus; generalmotors; gm; hhs; ventilators
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To: dfwgator

“GM should have been broken up years ago.”

The market broke them up - no more olds, pontiacs, saturns, hummers...


21 posted on 03/27/2020 3:56:14 PM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you care!)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

I wouldn’t trust them. The seems will be misaligned, the tolerances will be loose. Hell, the UAW will probably walk out.


22 posted on 03/27/2020 3:57:34 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: Parley Baer

“Not good advertisement for GM.”

but GREAT advertisement for the Defense Production Act, i.e., any other company thinking about screwing around will have second thoughts ...


23 posted on 03/27/2020 3:58:46 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: BenLurkin

Didn’t Bozo pack the Board of Directors of GM?


24 posted on 03/27/2020 4:22:52 PM PDT by rrrod (6)
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To: neverevergiveup

Generally a ventilator is controlled by a microcontroller, basically a computer on a single chip.

The British designed ARM controller is used in a lot of medical gear.

The ventilator is a simple device as medical equipment goes.

Actually one controller could operate several ventilators at the same time.

It’s sort of a computer controlled bellows with I/O from various medical sensors like O2 sat, pressure, volume delivered and many more...all with watchdog circuitry operating to make certain nothing goes awry.

An automaker should be able to produce such a device in short order since they have very qualified EE’s and good assembly line workers.

I’m certain you could round up a team of freepers that could do the design...we have a lot of talent here.


25 posted on 03/27/2020 4:25:35 PM PDT by Bobalu (We are going to witness such a circus between now and Nov that we should have to buy tickets)
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To: neverevergiveup

That’s great! UPer’s saving the day!


26 posted on 03/27/2020 4:30:58 PM PDT by JPJones (More Tariffs, less income tax.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

The Godfather.

First he made then an offer they couldn’t refuse.

When they refused, he told them either their Brains or their Signature would be on that Contract.

Does the GM CEO own a Horse? Just asking for a friend.


27 posted on 03/27/2020 4:31:41 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Kill a Commie for your Mommy.)
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To: Fledermaus

Damn. We should put you in charge.


28 posted on 03/27/2020 4:34:39 PM PDT by ebshumidors
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To: Berlin_Freeper

“I’ll look into it but I don’t understand why the companies that make ventilators can’t be funded to make more.”

Typically it’s because their labor unions drove the work to China. You know, to stick it to The Man.


29 posted on 03/27/2020 4:39:24 PM PDT by BobL
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To: nascarnation

Ford definitely made them there. I can’t say I recognize the plant floor but GM made engines for them so the photos may be GM.


30 posted on 03/27/2020 4:44:08 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: wattojawa

I think they are aware of the poor quality. The problem is that the US government bailed them out. If they had gone through a restructuring, they might have been forced to rethink their quality and start building a quality product.


31 posted on 03/27/2020 4:53:32 PM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Parley Baer

“Not good advertisement for GM.”

Nothing like a little public shaming from POTUS crucifying them for inaction during the pandemic. I love it when he calls them out like that.

I wonder how long it took them to switch to making tanks in WW II.


32 posted on 03/27/2020 5:14:59 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: plain talk

“Apparently Trump is taking this covid-19 stuff seriously.”

Nah, everybody says he’s an incompetent know-nothing boob. (yes /s)


33 posted on 03/27/2020 5:15:51 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Bobalu
...all with watchdog circuitry operating to make certain nothing goes awry.

Like inflating your lungs to 10 bar?

34 posted on 03/27/2020 5:17:53 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
"everybody says he’s an incompetent know-nothing boob."

That would be THIS guy.

or perhaps THIS one


35 posted on 03/27/2020 5:23:01 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: Bonemaker; nascarnation
M10 Sherman Tank being assembled at Fisher Body Plant 21...


36 posted on 03/27/2020 5:23:19 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Berlin_Freeper; All
Great capsule history about GM's involvement in manufacturing materiel during World War 2 at: "How GM's Divisions Tackled the War Effort."

From the first paragraph: "In February 1942, Fisher Body completely stopped making auto bodies and began assembling the famous M-4 "Sherman" tank in its No. 1 plant in Flint. The operation eventually moved to Grand Blanc and would turn out 11,358 tanks by 1945."

December 7, 1941 to February 1942 - from making cars to assembling tanks in two or two and a half months!! Wow. How could they possibly do that without CAD, email, Slack, Google Docs, or mobile phones?

37 posted on 03/27/2020 5:28:19 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: plain talk

35 years in the Senate must make you qualified for SOMETHING, no?


38 posted on 03/27/2020 5:29:04 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Berlin_Freeper

He should rescind the order. Assuming Dyson’s offering was a surprise and can replace what GM was supposed to deliver, PDJT should tell GM to go pound sand. Thank you very much, there are companies more agile and creative. Ford didn’t have a problem, why would GM.


39 posted on 03/27/2020 5:36:59 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("Sorry, your race card has been declined. Can you present any other form of argument?")
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To: Bonemaker
>>>but GM made engines for them so the photos may be GM.

I thought the engines for the B-24 were the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps - No?

40 posted on 03/27/2020 5:46:41 PM PDT by NELSON111 (Congress: The Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog s<how. Theater for sheep. My politics determines my "hero")
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