Senate committee presses nominee on supply chains, munitions and small‑business barriers

Michael Catanazzi, the White House nominee to be assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would focus the office on “prioritization, productivity, and production” while working with Congress and industry to expand munitions capacity and secure critical minerals.

In his opening statement, Catanazzi said the United States faces “constraints in crucial and exquisite capabilities delivered in uncomfortably limited quantities,” adding that the department must both address urgent wartime needs and pursue long‑term transformation of manufacturing and materials supply chains. He said he would use tools such as the Defense Production Act and the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program to drive private investment and scale production.

The nomination hearing centered on several recurring themes: how to grow munitions production quickly, how tariffs and foreign investment affect suppliers, how to…