A flowchart describes in four steps how NCI receives its funding, or appropriation, from Congress as part of the overall federal budget process. In step 1, the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) coordinates with federal agencies to formulate the President’s Budget, which covers all federal agencies, including NCI and NIH, and reflects the President’s priorities. The President submits the budget to Congress, which must pass appropriations legislation that funds federal agencies. In step 2, the Congressional appropriations committees consider the President’s Budget as they prepare appropriations legislation for the next fiscal year. In step 3, the appropriations committees finalize their legislative proposals and the House and Senate consider the proposed legislation. Once passed and reconciled into a unified bill, Congress sends the legislation to the President. In step 4, the final step, the President signs the appropriations bill into law, making funds available to executive agencies, including NCI and NIH. Of note, the National Cancer Act of 1971 gives the NCI Director special authority to submit an annual Professional Judgment Budget Proposal directly to the President for review and delivery to Congress. This budget reflects NCI cancer research priorities and identifies areas of potential investment in cancer research.