U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin issues statement critical of the White House initiatives aimed at tightening political control over the NIH grantmaking process

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, issued a strongly worded statement criticizing recent White House initiatives aimed at tightening political control over the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grantmaking process.

The Senator's response follows reports that the administration is drafting an executive order to establish a White House-appointed panel with veto power over scientific research that fails to align with the President's political priorities. This effort builds upon a recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy proposal that would grant the administration unprecedented latitude to suspend or cancel federal grants without prior notice.

Senator Baldwin warned that subjecting biomedical research to political scrutiny threatens critical scientific research, including clinical trials for cancer and treatments for ALS. She emphasized that public investments in health research should be guided by scientific merit and expert evaluation rather than partisan agendas, calling on congressional colleagues to join her in safeguarding federal research funding.