Jennifer Santos, the Pentagon’s industrial policy chief who oversees efforts to ramp up production of masks and other equipment to help fight Covid-19, was fired from her job this week and will move to a position in the Navy
, according to two people familiar with the matter.
"The department’s commitment to closely partnering with the defense industry remains unwavering, and we will continue to identify and mitigate impacts from the COVID-19 national emergency to ensure readiness and modernization," Andrews said. Santos faced challenges leveraging the Defense Production Act, according to a former Pentagon official, referring to the law that allows the government to place priority orders with contractors. Congressional Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for its unwillingness during the first few months of the pandemic to fully use the DPA in its fight against the coronavirus.
"With the department's expected role in identifying, manufacturing and distributing a Covid vaccine, the Defense Production Act and the defense industrial base will be incredibly important," the official said, adding that "the department of the Navy is picking up a valuable teammate" in Santos.
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