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August 3, 2026
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U.S. lawmakers push to put arguable OMB investigation assistance rules connected hold
The projected changes person seen important bipartisan pushback and person been criticized by scientists crossed disciplines
By Adam Kovac edited by Claire Cameron

The U.S. Capitol is seen connected November 9, 2025 successful Washington, DC.
Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
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The U.S. Senate is emerging arsenic a imaginable bulwark against a projected norm alteration that would springiness authorities bureaucrats much power complete technological funding.
In a draught statement to money nan authorities done December 11 released connected Sunday, nan continuing solution would widen nan existent strategy for disbursement of science-related grants, specified arsenic those awarded by nan National Institutes of Health, nan National Science Foundation and different governmental agencies. If passed, it efficaciously stalls nan Office of Budget Management's (OMB) projected norm changes from coming into effect until astatine slightest that date, nevertheless it would not forestall them from ever taking hold.
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Sen. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) warned successful a statement that “While nan measure temporarily blocks nan projected OMB rule, nan conflict must continue.”
“The Senate measure forces OMB to proceed reviewing nan half-million comments that were submitted, but Congress must permanently forestall this corrupt, harmful powerfulness drawback earlier nan caller deadline of December 11,” she said.
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The OMB's proposed change would springiness governmental appointees, alternatively than nan existent strategy of panels of independent adjacent reviewers, nan powerfulness to reappraisal and determine which investigation grants get backing from national agencies.
Scientists rushed to condemn nan connection during nan nationalist remark period, which closed connected July 13. Critics included respective Nobel laureates, who warned it would politicize nan technological process and cripple U.S. technological advancement.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who chairs nan Senate Appropriations Committee, said successful a abstracted connection that she was “pleased” nan alteration would not return effect nether nan resolution. “I advocated for important changes to nan projected norm successful a July 6 missive to nan agency, citing its imaginable to politicize grants and harm small, agrarian communities, families, and biomedical research,” she said.
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