Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
Trump administration issued a memorandum waiving statutory requirements under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950. The waiver allows the government to bypass certain legal requirements in invoking defense production authorities. The action expands executive power to mobilize industrial capacity without standard congressional or statutory constraints.
Trump administration issued a memorandum invoking Section 303 of the Defense Production Act to waive statutory requirements for munitions and minerals production. The action prioritizes domestic manufacturing and defense industrial base expansion. This could accelerate mining operations and weapons production while potentially reducing environmental and labor protections.
On June 24, 2020, the Trump administration issued a Presidential Determination under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, invoking authority to prioritize defense contracts related to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. The determination authorized the government to allocate materials and resources to vaccine production facilities. The confirmed effect was to establish priority rating authority for contracts supporting vaccine development and manufacturing capacity during the pandemic.
On May 14, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13922, delegating authority under the Defense Production Act to the Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The order authorized the DFC CEO to use Defense Production Act powers to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The confirmed effect was to expand the DFC's ability to mobilize financing and resources for COVID-19 response activities, including potential domestic production or procurement of medical supplies and equipment.
On April 28, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13917, delegating authority under the Defense Production Act to the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize and allocate food supply chain resources during the COVID-19 national emergency. The order authorized the Secretary to require food producers and suppliers to prioritize orders from the federal government and to allocate resources as deemed necessary. The confirmed effect was expansion of federal authority over food production and distribution during the pandemic, with direct application to meat processing facilities, grain mills, and other food supply chain entities.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13911 on March 27, 2020, delegating additional authority under the Defense Production Act to federal agencies to allocate health and medical resources in response to COVID-19. The order empowered the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other agency heads to requisition supplies, materials, and services needed for pandemic response. The direct effect was authorization for federal agencies to commandeer or redirect medical equipment and supplies from private manufacturers and distributors to government control for distribution during the pandemic.
On March 23, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13910, authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to use the Defense Production Act to prevent hoarding and price gouging of health and medical resources needed for COVID-19 response. The order directed federal agencies to take action against the accumulation and retention of scarce health and medical resources, and established enforcement mechanisms for violations. The confirmed effect was to give federal authorities legal tools to address supply chain disruptions and ensure allocation of ventilators, personal protective equipment, and other critical medical supplies during the pandemic.
Executive Order 13909 was signed on March 18, 2020, directing the prioritization and allocation of health and medical resources to respond to COVID-19 spread. The order invoked the Defense Production Act to enable the federal government to require private manufacturers to produce medical supplies and equipment needed for pandemic response. The order authorized federal officials to requisition ventilators, personal protective equipment, and other medical resources from private manufacturers and direct their distribution to areas with greatest need.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-5794 on March 13, 2020, declaring a national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. The proclamation invoked the National Emergencies Act and the Stafford Act, enabling the federal government to mobilize resources, waive certain regulations, and authorize emergency funding for pandemic response. The declaration activated emergency powers that allowed FEMA to coordinate disaster relief, permitted the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive Medicare requirements, and authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to manufacture medical supplies.
Trump signed a Presidential Determination under the Defense Production Act authorizing priority allocation of resources for national defense purposes. The determination empowers federal agencies to require preferential treatment for defense-related contracts and materials. This affects American manufacturers and supply chains by subordinating civilian commercial interests to military production priorities.