Combating Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

the CPC will need to set program recommendations before agency planning begins in thespring or summer. As agencies build their budgets, the National Director should participatein the OMB fall budget reviews.The agencies make their budget submissions to OMB in the early fall. OMB should thendo a cross-cutting budget review of all proliferation-related agency budgets, holdinghearings with each agency. The National Director or his or her representative should takepart in this review and reach an agreement with the OMB Director on recommendedbudget changes. Once the review is complete, OMB should pass the recommendedchanges, endorsed by the National Director, back to each agency, in order to ensure thatthe final agency submissions conform to the National Director’s guidance. This step willensure both that priority programs get adequate funding and that the agencies arecoordinated across budgets to eliminate redundancies.Agencies appeal budgetary pass-backs to the OMB Director. In this case, the appealshould be copied to the National Director, who should discuss the appeals with the OMBDirector. Ultimately, as the President hears budgetary appeals, there should be an explicitpre-meeting on proliferation-related resource priorities before final budget decisions aremade. The Vice President, jointly with the National Director and the OMB Director, mightpre-screen appeals to the President, to prepare the presidential agenda. This processwould help ensure that priority presidential attention is given to resource level andallocation decisions in this area.3A (36p x 22p)21