US Government Funding Deal Includes Provision Blocking Political Control Over Grants

The US House of Representatives has passed a stopgap funding measure that will continue government operations through early December. While the measure requires President Trump's signature, it is widely expected to be signed to avoid a government shutdown immediately before the midterm elections.

This temporary funding approach has become common in recent years, as securing a full year's budget often proves politically challenging. In this instance, dissent within the House Republican caucus prevented them from agreeing on their own measure to keep the government open. Consequently, the House adopted a version of the spending bill previously passed by the Senate.

From the perspective of scientists and their advocates, the adoption of the Senate's bill was a significant development. The Senate's version, passed in early August, includes a provision blocking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from implementing new rules that would grant political appointees extensive control over science funding and allow them to cancel grants at any time. This proposed rule had been widely criticized as detrimental to scientific research and faced broad opposition from scientific and health organizations.

The House's decision ensures that scientific funding decisions remain shielded from direct political interference, at least until early December. This outcome provides a measure of relief for the scientific community, which had voiced strong concerns about the potential impacts of the proposed regulatory changes on research integrity and progress.