Here's a summary of the excerpt you provided from Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise (Russ Vought, Executive Office of the President chapter):

Summary

The chapter argues that the U.S. Constitution vests all executive power in the President, not in federal agencies or unelected bureaucrats. However, the modern federal bureaucracy often operates independently, pushing its own agenda or that of left-leaning interests. This undermines the President’s constitutional authority and threatens self-governance. A conservative President, according to the text, must take strong action to reclaim control of the executive branch, reduce bureaucracy, and return power to the people—particularly local communities, families, and states. To do this, the President must use the tools within the Executive Office of the President (EOP), especially the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Key Points on the OMB:

OMB’s Role: Acts as the President’s "air-traffic control system" for implementing policies across the executive branch. It ensures agency actions align with the President’s agenda in budget, regulations, management, and legislative coordination. Authority and Tools: The OMB wields statutory tools like apportionments (how funding is distributed to agencies), allowing oversight of spending and alignment with policy goals. Leadership Structure: The chapter calls for a strong, proactive OMB Director who acts as the President’s policy proxy, not as a defender of bureaucratic norms. The Director should have close relationships with key staff, especially the Budget Review Division and Office of General Counsel. Recommendations: Shift apportionment authority back to political appointees (PADs), not career staff (DADs).Expand the number of Resource Management Offices (RMOs) and PADs for closer policy oversight. Introduce administrative PAYGO, requiring agencies to offset new spending or regulatory actions with savings elsewhere. Fiscal Responsibility: The U.S. faces a $31 trillion debt. The OMB should lead the charge in establishing fiscal discipline via the President’s budget and agency spending control. Management Functions: The “M-Side” of OMB oversees procurement, personnel, IT, and more. The team should aggressively break down internal barriers and turf wars within OMB to function as a united force for the President's agenda.