Senators Oppose White House Control Over NIH Grant Funding

Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray have opposed efforts by the Trump administration to give the White House authority over National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding. Collins, a Republican and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Murray, the committee's ranking Democratic member, expressed their concerns regarding the proposal. Collins stated that any attempt to 'politicize grantmaking' at NIH, whether through an executive order or guidance, is 'contrary to congressional intent.' A report from Politico indicated that Trump has instructed his budget director, Russ Vought, to establish a board to determine which NIH grants would be funded. Murray criticized this effort, arguing that it could allow a political appointee to terminate a cancer study without scientific justification. She emphasized that funding for lifesaving medical research should be decided by NIH experts rather than a panel chosen by the administration.