Sen. Collins: OMB Should Not Be Involved in Agency Decisions on Grant Awards

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on reports that the Administration is considering an Executive Order giving the White House control of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding:

“The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should not be involved in agency decisions on the awards of grants. As I stated in my July 6 letter, a proposed OMB rule would politicize grantmaking. The Continuing Resolution — which passed the Senate, House, and was signed into law on September 2 – blocks OMB’s proposed rule or any substantially similar one.

“Any attempt to politicize grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or any other agency, by another means—whether an Executive Order or guidance—is contrary to congressional intent. 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.”