federal grantmaking process

A coalition of 23 state governors and Guam's governor submitted a joint comment opposing a proposed U.S. Office of Management and Budget rule that would overhaul federal grantmaking, arguing it could harm maternal health and reproductive care programs by allowing political termination of grants. The proposed rule emphasizes aligning grants with presidential priorities and includes changes to oversight and decision-making processes.

Democratic governors and the governor of Guam submitted a joint comment opposing a U.S. Office of Management and Budget proposal to overhaul federal grantmaking rules, arguing it could harm maternal health and reproductive care programs. The proposed rule would allow senior political appointees to influence grant reviews to align with presidential priorities, which critics say could lead to unilateral termination of grants based on political considerations.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called on the Trump administration to withdraw parts of a controversial proposed grant rule, joining opposition to a new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Collins sent a letter to OMB Director Russell Vought requesting the agency to rescind portions of the changes.

The Trump administration's proposal to overhaul federal grantmaking by increasing political appointee influence has alarmed researchers, particularly those focused on health disparities, who fear their work may be disqualified from NIH funding. The 412-page proposal includes a section that could significantly impact the future of health disparities research.