Business Executives for National Security Hosts Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks, and Other Senior Defense Officials, on DoD’s FY2023 Budget Request

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2022

Contact:
Nate Thompson
(202) 296-2125
NThompson@bens.org

Resources:   Video Recording    |    DoD Press Release    |    DoD Photo Album

WASHINGTON, DC—Business Executives for National Security (BENS) hosted Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer Michael McCord and Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Deborah Rosenblum at a forum yesterday to discuss the Department’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. The event included over 160 private-sector business executives and was held at the National Defense University.

BENS President and CEO, General Joseph Votel, USA (ret.) introduced Deputy Secretary Hicks who provided opening comments, followed by a question-and-answer session. Votel began by thanking Secretary Hicks, Under Secretary McCord and Acting Assistant Secretary Rosenblum for their participation, and the Aerospace Industries Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce for their partnership and participation in this important engagement.

About the event General Votel said, “It was an honor to host this important session at a time when national security must be everybody’s business.” Adding, “The continued collaboration between the Department of Defense and the private sector to bring non-government expertise and best practices to the table will assist the Department and other national security agencies execute upon their missions to keep America secure.”

In her opening remarks, Deputy Secretary Hicks thanked BENS for hosting this important conversation and said the Department would meet the challenges of a complex security environment by pursuing three approaches: Integrated deterrence, campaigning, and building enduring advantages.

Deputy Secretary Hicks also stated that President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 defense budget request of $773 billion, a roughly 8.1% increase over the Department’s Fiscal Year 2022 request, makes the investments necessary to implement the National Defense Strategy.

She added there are three areas of focus particularly relevant to businesses and the private sector. The first is investment in procurement, research, and development, which totals $276 billion dollars – the largest in history. Second, secure, and resilient supply chains, which are vital to not only our economic well-being, but also our national security. And third, cyber security, which is foundational to a successful relationship between the public and private sector.

Under Secretary McCord joined Secretary Hicks in thanking BENS by stating he appreciates “the good work BENS has done and continues to do to support smart investments in national security.”

During the question-and-answer period conducted by BENS Board of Directors member, Mr. Gregory Nixon, Head of Strategic Investments, Senior Managing Director and Senior Legal Counsel, Cerberus Capital Management, the three defense officials discussed strategy-to-resource links between the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request.

The discussion also focused on industry’s role in building supply chain resilience, creating the workforce of the future, contested logistics, and key emerging technologies.

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Business Executives for National Security is a nationwide network of elite business leaders who are united in the belief that private-sector expertise and best practices can help the Department of Defense and other national security agencies execute their missions to keep America secure. Founded in 1982, BENS has a long history of bringing the best talent in business together with senior national security leaders to apply best practices and cutting-edge ideas to solve some of the Nations’ most complex and pressing national security challenges. Operating as a non-partisan, non-profit organization, BENS does its work at no cost to government.. For more information, please visit: www.BENS.org.