House passes spending bill with provision blocking OMB political control over federal science grants
A stopgap funding measure adopted from the Senate includes language preventing the Office of Management and Budget from implementing rules that would give political appointees unilateral control over science funding decisions.
What happened
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through early December by adopting the Senate's version of a spending bill. The Senate had passed its budget measure in early August with a provision—inserted by senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine)—that blocks the OMB from implementing new rules allowing political appointees to control which science is funded and cancel grants at will. The Senate passed the bill 90-6 and the House passed it 370-48, with opposition focused on other aspects of the measure. The provision remains in effect until the stopgap expires on December 11.
Context
The OMB rule has faced widespread opposition from scientific and health-focused organizations, which characterized it as catastrophic for science. The lopsided vote margins in both chambers suggest substantial bipartisan resistance to granting the administration that level of control over federal science spending. While this represents only a temporary block rather than a permanent prohibition, the large margins raise the prospect that similar protective language could be inserted into future budget deals without triggering significant opposition. This outcome reflects the challenge the House Republican caucus faced in building consensus on its own spending measure.