Collins warns White House against political review of NIH grants
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has warned the Trump administration against a reported executive order that would add political review of NIH grants after the merit-review process.
Senator Susan Collins has warned the White House against an executive order that would hand the administration political control over National Institutes of Health grant funding.
Collins, the Maine Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, wrote on Tuesday to Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, urging them not to proceed with a reported plan to add a political review of NIH grant applications after the merit-review process. She said it resembled an OMB rule change Congress blocked in the fiscal 2027 continuing resolution.
“Any attempt to politicise grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health, or any other agency, by another means — whether an Executive Order or guidance — is contrary to congressional intent,” Collins said. “Imposing a political review on awards that have already been selected through a rigorous scientific and merit-based process undermines the long-standing principle that the government funds awards based on scientific need and merit, rather than political ideology.”
Senator Patty Murray, the top Democratic appropriator, also criticised the plan, saying funding decisions should rest with NIH experts. Politico reported that President Trump instructed Vought last week to draft the order and that a new board including Vought and Bhattacharya would decide awards by unanimous vote — giving political appointees sway over more than $35 billion in yearly NIH grants.
Collins closed her letter by urging the administration to send Congress a legislative proposal if it wants further NIH reforms, rather than acting by executive order.
Sources
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U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations (22 Sept 2026): “Sen. Collins Warns Administration Not to Proceed with NIH Executive Order” — full letter text: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/sen-collins-warns-administration-not-to-proceed-with-nih-executive-order
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The Fiscal Times (22 Sept 2026): “Collins Warns Trump Admin Against NIH Funding Shakeup” — Collins statement, Murray criticism, Politico-reported drafting details: https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2026/09/22/Collins-Warns-Trump-Admin-Against-NIH-Funding-Shakeup
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EIN Presswire (22 Sept 2026): reproduces the Senate Appropriations Committee release verbatim: https://trade.einnews.com/pr_news/944379790/sen-collins-warns-administration-not-to-proceed-with-nih-executive-order
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