Senate Tees Up Grant Overhaul Showdown
Read full article at Politco Pro
Science and health research organizations are cheering Republican senators’ attempt to delay a White House proposal that would overhaul the National Institutes of Health’s grant funding process — but the fight is far from over.
Earlier this week, Senate appropriators released text of a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown come Oct. 1. The text also included language that would ban finalization of the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed grant overhaul before December — potentially offering a temporary reprieve for the scientists.
“This delay helps ensure OMB takes those concerns seriously and goes back to the drawing board,” said Research!America President and CEO Russ Paulsen in a news release.
If finalized, the rule would require a pre-issuance review of discretionary grants by senior political appointees to ensure they align with the president’s policy priorities. It would also give federal agencies more discretion over terminating grants — if they find they don’t align with policy priorities — and restrict international research collaboration.
Even so: The fate of the rule is still very uncertain. House lawmakers must decide whether to take up the Senate funding patch when they return to the Capitol in September. And some Senate Republicans still plan to push for the White House rule to be finalized in December.
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