Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Treas- 

 ury, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, 

 the Environmental Protection Agency, and so on down the list — be 

 represented and participate at that level. 



As I mentioned before giving my prepared remarks, the gentle- 

 man to my right, Mr. Ted Kronmiller, is chairing the working 

 interagency group that is doing the initial evaluation and work on 

 the review. Now, once that work is accomplished, it will be consid- 

 ered at more senior levels, and I would expect, ultimately at the 

 Cabinet level, before final decisions are taken. 



Chairman Zablocki. What is the status of the administration's 

 review? How far along is it? Is there a target date set for complet- 

 ing the review? 



Mr. Malone. As I mentioned in my statement, Mr. Chairman, 

 we feel that we will not have been able to complete the review in 

 its entirety by the August resumed session. 



Chairman Zablocki. That gives you 3 months, doesn't it? 



Mr. Malone. If I may, I would like to just indicate why this is 

 the situation. We feel, of course, that the question is a very com- 

 plex and involved one. It is one that we have to carefully go 

 through in the review process within the executive branch. Then 

 we must undertake, we believe, very thorough discussions, many 

 on a bilateral basis, some in groups, with our key allies and other 

 participants in the Conference. Indeed, some of that work will be 

 done during the initial phases of the review. Some of it will have to 

 be done at later junctures, and it will be necessary in some cases to 

 meet more than once. 



We want to very carefully involve the relevant Members and 

 committees in the Congress in this process, and that is going to 

 require some time. Then we also feel that we must carefully consid- 

 er the positions of the public sector groups, and there are many 

 responsible groups in the public sector that have very strong views 

 that must be factored in to this review process in order to give us 

 what is a satisfactory outcome. 



So that although it would seem that yes, maybe 3 months would 

 be ample time to do something like a simple review of a treaty 

 text, I would suggest to you, Mr. Chairman, this complex review 

 will require much more than that. It is a very thorough review. 



We feel that we certainly will have completed the entire process 

 by the fall, and indeed will be on our final phases by the August 

 session. And we contemplate using the August session as a means 

 of seeking reaction, seeking further input to the review as it is 

 developed to that point. But we are not going to be dragging our 

 feet on this. We are going to be moving forward just as rapidly as 

 we possibly can to do the thorough job that we think must be done. 



Chairman Zablocki. I'm not suggesting that we should expedite 

 the review so rapidly that it would not be in our security interests. 

 It is important to fully consider our national security interests. 

 However, if the United States is not prepared to go to the 10th 

 session in August, there are some suggestions or rumors that the 

 Third World states will seriously consider negotiating the conclu- 

 sion of a treaty without us. 



