Senate Spending Bill Seeks to Block White House Control Over Federal Science Grants

Senate Republican leaders unveiled a stopgap spending bill that includes a legislative provision to block a White House rule change granting political appointees sweeping authority over hundreds of billions of dollars in federal science and discretionary grants. The measure, negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins and Democratic leaders to fund the government through December 11, marks a direct legislative rebuke of executive power. The contested administration rule, introduced in May by the Office of Management and Budget, would empower political appointees to screen grants to ensure alignment with presidential priorities and restrict funding for projects involving specific diversity frameworks or targeted foreign institutions. Research institutions and academic organizations previously criticized the executive policy as a threat to scientific independence following prior grant freezes that triggered widespread institutional disruption. The Senate advanced the funding package ahead of upcoming congressional recesses to avert a federal shutdown, while House leadership has not yet announced a timeline for review.