Northwest Aerospace News June | July Issue No. 15 | Page 55

PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEFENSE COALITION SPOTLIGHT The DPA also enables the U.S. government to allocate the production of goods and services among designated users, whether the U.S. government or other federal contractors. Finally, the DPA gives the U.S. government the power to commandeer factories to expand or channel production of needed supplies, to take land or other property, to fix prices and wages, to resolve or end labor disputes, and to take over any other necessary aspects of the civilian economy to meet national defense requirements. Many PNDC members already know one aspect of the DPA – the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) summarizes DPAS this way: The purpose of DPAS is to assure the timely availability of industrial resources to meet current national defense and emergency preparedness program requirements and to provide an operating system to support rapid industrial response in a national emergency. The [DPA] authorized the President to require preferential treatment of national defense programs. Executive Order 12919 put Department of Commerce in charge of program. 15 CFR 700 provides rules for DPAS program. DoD 4400.1-M provides guidance for DoD activities. Under DPAS, only the Secretary of Defense can give a “DX” rating, the highest priority for fulfillment. A “DO” contract is the next lower priority in DPAS. On April 2, President Trump issued two memoranda to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. One memo declared that PPE and ventilators are essential commodities under the DPA and directed those two Cabinet officials to use their delegated DPA authority to facilitate the production of such items by General Electric Company; Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.; Medtronic Public Limited Company; ResMed Inc.; Royal Philips N.V.; and Vyaire Medical, Inc. The second memo covered N95 respirators and named the 3M Company. JCATI is: • An economic development program for Washington aerospace companies • An industry-academic partnership • A way to bring new technology JOIN AUVSI TODAY into your business Learn how your aerospace company can leverage statewide engineering expertise jcati.org YOUR ADVOCATE FOR UNMANNED SYSTEMS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ADVOCATE. EDUCATE. CONNECT. “To advance economic growth, promote innovation, and create jobs in the unmanned systems and robotics industry in the Pacific Northwest.” ■ Advocacy ■ Education ■ Community ■ Chapter Events ■ Networking Events www.CascadeAUVSI.org For more information contact: [email protected] Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International JUNE | JULY 2020 ISSUE NO. 15 55