Kate Kaufer

Kate Käufer [pronounced "coy-fur"] is the President and Founder of KMK Global Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm providing tailored business advice, strategy and solutions to complex national security challenges. Käufer advises select clients on how operate within the U.S. Government national security bureaucracy and navigate the executive, legislative and industrial base enterprise; as well as provides unbiased and independent program and investment assessments.

Ms. Käufer retired from the Federal Government in December 2024 after more than 23 years of service, most recently as the Majority Clerk for the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. In that role, she led the Committee’s work with Senators from both parties on all matters pertaining to the review, oversight, legislative enactment, and execution of defense and intelligence budgets. Käufer joined the Committee in December 2004 and served for 18 years as a Majority Professional Staff Member under multiple Chairmen of both political parties as the lead analyst for a variety of acquisition accounts of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.  

In addition, Käufer served as the Subcommittee's point person responsible for tracking the budgetary impact of recommended adjustments to the President's budget request and worked closely with the Congressional Budget Office and Senate Budget Committee to ensure that the Committee’s legislative recommendations were in compliance with the Subcommittee's allocation and jurisdiction.

Prior to joining the Committee, Käufer served as a Presidential Management Fellow in the U.S. Department of Defense as a budget analyst in the Headquarters Marine Corps, Programs and Resources Department.

Kate grew up in Germany and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1998 after receiving an MA in German Linguistics with minors in Political Science and U.S. History from the University of Cologne.  She continued her education by completing a MA in Security Policy Studies from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, concentrating on National Defense budgeting, the congressional budget process and transnational security. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor, she teaches a course on “Budgeting for U.S. National Defense” at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.