Members of Congress push back on plan to create a commission of political appointees to review NIH grants

Tensions over increased White House control of federal biomedical research funding escalated in recent days, with several members of Congress voicing strong opposition after news leaked about a plan to create a panel of political appointees to sign off on all National Institutes of Health grants. In what has been reported to be a contentious meeting at the White House on Friday, Russell Vought, the head of the White House Office of Management and Budget, pushed for an executive order creating a commission that would review all NIH grants, according to The Washington Post . President Trump, reportedly angry that NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya had refused to cut funding for Harvard researchers, directed Vought to draft the order.

Politico reported Vought and Bhattacharya would serve on the proposed board, which would be required to reach unanimous decisions on grants. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+.

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Source: STAT