President Trump has quietly invoked the Defense Production Act to force defense contractors into high-gear weapons manufacturing, signaling deep concern within his administration about depleted munitions stockpiles from the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The move came via a memo Trump signed on June 11 and filed in the Federal Register on Tuesday. In it, the president cited conditions that "may pose a direct threat to the national defense" and pointed specifically to production constraints that could "impair the ability of the United States to produce, sustain, and expand the availability of munitions, missiles, and equipment."
The Defense Production Act, enacted in the 1950s, grants presidents sweeping authority to compel private companies to prioritize federal orders, accelerate output, and collaborate in ways that would normally raise antitrust questions. It has traditionally been deployed during emergencies like natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or pandemics.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved quickly to translate the directive into congressional support. On Tuesday, Hegseth met with Senate Republicans to advance a $350 billion reconciliation package intended to replenish the Pentagon's depleted ammunition stocks. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas confirmed the focus: "The Pentagon is running short of funding they need in order to acquire the weapons and missiles and things like that that they need to protect the nation."
The invocation of the Defense Production Act had been under discussion since March, just days after Operation Epic Fury commenced. Administration officials then floated the idea with lawmakers but held back, even as Trump publicly insisted supplies were adequate. "We have unlimited middle and upper ammunition, which is really what we're using in this war," he told reporters at the time, later clarifying he meant the munitions' range.
Plans for a formal meeting between Trump and defense industry leaders on the stockpile crisis were postponed last Friday as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran dominated attention. The two nations reached a Memorandum of Understanding on Sunday to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a 60-day window for broader negotiations. A signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday.
The Pentagon's public messaging, however, remains at odds with the urgency of the executive action. On Sunday, Hegseth told CBS News that "our stockpiles are strong and they will only get stronger in the future" and dismissed concerns as a "manufactured story." Yet his Tuesday Capitol Hill push suggested otherwise.
Securing the supplemental funding faces political obstacles. While Hegseth's proposal could advance through Republican votes alone, Democrats have signaled reluctance to back additional war funding without clearer justification and ongoing briefings from Trump officials. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, the leading Democrat on Pentagon appropriations, stated flatly: "As long as we are at war with Iran, I will not allow a supplemental to serve as the de facto authorization for the war."
Even some Republicans, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, want the administration to better justify the expense before committing dollars. Murkowski, who has voted with Democrats on Iran war measures, said she remains open to covering war costs but demands proper accounting.
The practical contradiction is stark: Trump administration officials publicly downplay ammunition shortages while simultaneously invoking rare presidential powers to force manufacturers into emergency production and pressing Congress for hundreds of billions in fresh spending.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "This is Trump showing his hand on what he really believes the situation is, regardless of what his Pentagon chief is saying on television."
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