Senators push language to limit political influence over NIH grants
Senate appropriators from both parties are drafting language for a spending bill that would restrict White House interference in NIH grant decisions.
Bipartisan Senate appropriators are working on language to embed safeguards against political meddling in National Institutes of Health grantmaking into the upcoming Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, aiming to pass it before the temporary funding expires on Dec. 11. The initiative, spearheaded by Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and ranking member Patty Murray, responds to prior actions by the Trump administration that sought to route grant decisions through political review, including a proposed Uniform Guidance rule and an August 2025 executive order.
Lisa Murkowski is drafting comparable measures for environmental research grants. The administration recently withdrew a plan to grant the Office of Management and Budget discretion over NIH grants after criticism. Senators such as Bill Cassidy and Tammy Baldwin expect the discussion to continue through the lame-duck period, with staff preparing language for November.
Why it matters
It aims to preserve scientific independence in federal research funding.
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