 Mike McCord was appointed Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) in January, 2009. He joined the Department of Defense (DoD) with 24 years of experience in national security issues in the legislative branch, including 21 years as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) from 1987-2002 and from 2004 through January 2009.
Immediately prior to his appointment to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Mr. McCord served on the President-elect’s DoD Agency Review transition team. Prior to that, he served on the SASC staff supporting both the full committee and also, from 1995-2002 and 2004-January 2009, as the minority or majority staff lead on the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.
From 1997 through January 2009, working with his subcommittee leadership, Senators Glenn, Robb, and Akaka, Mr. McCord was responsible for installation and global basing matters including construction or leasing of new military facilities, maintenance of existing facilities, base closure and base reuse matters, land and property disposal and exchange issues, DoD use of public lands, and privatization of DoD housing and utilities. From 1995-2001, and again during 2005 and 2006, he was also responsible for oversight of over $100 billion in annual DoD operation and maintenance funding and military readiness policy matters including training, supplies, operating tempo, contingency operations funding, equipment maintenance, and the operations of the working capital funds.
At the full committee level, from 1987-January 2009, under Senators Nunn and Levin, he had oversight of defense budget matters, including analyzing and developing policy options for the defense budget topline; oversight of DoD’s Quadrennial Defense Review; supplemental funding for contingency operations and natural disasters; resource allocation among the SASC subcommittees during the annual budget process; developing and analyzing proposals to increase or reduce the defense topline; ensuring compliance with applicable discretionary and mandatory spending targets; and advising the Committee and drafting legislation on fiscal and budget policy issues. He also managed the Committee’s review of the reprogramming of defense funds.
During 2003 he served as the budget analyst for defense and veterans issues for the Democratic staff of the House Budget Committee. In that capacity he also assisted the Ranking Member, Rep. Spratt, on defense budget and policy issues related to Rep. Spratt’s responsibilities as a member of the Budget and House Armed Services Committees. His primary focus was on the cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1985 and 1986 he was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office. His primary area of responsibility there was the analysis of military personnel programs, including personnel strength levels, pay and benefits costs, and military retirement.
Mr. McCord is a graduate of the Ohio State University and the University of Pennsylvania. |
