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First published on The Biden administration s first week in office included the release of a 200-page outline for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Among several measures, it says the administration will provide authority, through an executive order issued Thursday, to use the Defense Production Act to fill supply shortfalls across 12 product categories facing shortages. The DPA is a legal tool the federal government uses to ensure suppliers prioritize its orders. It can allow the government to direct expanded manufacturing capacity at particular companies, as it did in April, when HHS announced a $489.4 million DPA contract with General Motors to manufacture 30,000 ventilators for the Strategic National Stockpile. But it s not clear how helpful this order was, as this work was taking place prior to the DPA order. ....