STAT+: House votes to temporarily block Trump plan to politicize federal grants
The House voted to pass a stopgap funding bill that, for now, blocks a White House proposal to give political appointees more control over research grants.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a stopgap bill that temporarily halts proposed changes to the federal science grant-making process. These changes, initially proposed by the Trump administration, aimed to transfer control of science funding to appointed bureaucrats. The legislation, which will fund federal agencies until December 11, was adopted by a vote of 370-48 in the House, with 14 members abstaining from voting.
The Senate had previously agreed not to adopt the rule changes in August, expressing concerns that they would politicize research and undermine U.S. leadership in global science. Thousands of researchers, including Nobel laureates, submitted public comments opposing the proposal, arguing it would compromise the integrity of scientific research.
The outcome of the proposed changes may depend on the results of the upcoming midterm elections in November, as Democrats are expected to gain control of the House and have generally opposed the changes.
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- House passes stopgap bill that pauses changes to federal science grant-making process scientificamerican.com
