CBS NEWS – The Biden administration says it has invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to speed rebuilding of a major American factory of intravenous fluids that was wrecked by Hurricane Helene last month.
Damage to the plant in North Carolina has worsened a nationwide shortage of IV fluids, and hospitals say they are still postponing some surgeries and other procedures as a result.
Some 60% of the nation’s IV supplies had relied on production from the plant, run by medical supplier Baxter, before it was damaged by the storm.
An official with the Department of Health and Human Services told CBS News:
“Ensuring people have medical supplies they need is a top priority of the Administration. It’s exactly why we are working closely with Baxter to support cleanup and restoration of the facility, including invoking the Defense Production Act to help production resume as quickly as possible.”
A spokesperson for the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response said the federal government had wielded the act’s authorities to push Baxter to the front of the line for a contractor needed for construction in the plant.
ASPR officials are now looking into other ways that the powers might be able to accelerate rebuilding or help other domestic manufacturers ramp up.
The Defense Production Act was previously used by the Trump and Biden administrations to boost manufacturing of items like test swabs, ventilators and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the factory remains offline, the Food and Drug Administration has greenlighted Baxter to import IV fluids from its other plants around the world.
Officials say they are also backing plans to airlift more supplies into the U.S. …
