Pentagon sacks point person on Defence Production Act

Jennifer Santos played a lead role in ramping up production of N-95 masks, swabs, ventilators and other key equipment

The Pentagon has fired its point person on increasing supplies of protective masks and key equipment during the coronavirus pandemic under the Defence Production Act.

As first reported by Politico, Jennifer Santos, the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary of defence for industrial policy, told staff during a tearful staff meeting on Thursday that she had been fired and would leave at the end of Friday.

Pentagon spokesperson Lt Col. Mike Andrews confirmed in a statement that Santos is moving to a position in the Navy.

"The department's commitment to closely partnering with the defence industry remains unwavering, and we will continue to identify and mitigate impacts from the Covid-19 national emergency to ensure readiness and modernization," Mr Andrews said.

Read more

Ms Santos had played a lead role in efforts to ramp up production of N-95 masks, swabs, ventilators and other equipment in the US's response to the coronavirus pandemic

Before the coronavirus pandemic in March, she was focusing on how to prevent Chinese infiltration of strategically important US assets.

Ms Santos had been in the role since June 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile. It was her responsibility to partner with industry using the Defence Production Act that gave the government priority with private contractors, according to Politico's reporting.

The personnel change was reportedly a chance for the Pentagon to fill the position with someone that had a stronger background in Defence Production Act-related issues.

Donald Trump first invoked the Act to compel GM to produce ventilators.

Before joining the Pentagon, Ms Santos was vice president for Air Force and Department of Defence innovation at private consulting firm Cypress International, and before that a staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

She previously worked at the Pentagon for the US Air Force "in charge of planning, programming, analysing, reviewing, and liaising to the Hill the Air Force classified programmes".