Senator Susan Collins is warning the Trump administration against what she describes as an effort to politicize federal health research funding, escalating a dispute over control of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants as she faces a reelection race that recent polling suggests could be one of the most competitive of her career. The Maine Republican's criticism comes as recent polling shows Democrat Troy Jackson holding a narrow edge in the race for Collins' Senate seat. A CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this month found Jackson leading Collins 48 percent to 45 percent, while other recent surveys have also pointed to a highly competitive contest.
The race is rated a toss-up by major election forecasters. The dispute erupted after The Washington Post reported Friday that President Donald Trump is considering an executive order that would create a commission to review NIH grants, potentially giving political appointees a role in determining how the agency distributes nearly $50 billion in biomedical research funding. The Post reported that White House budget chief Russell Vought led criticism of the NIH, arguing the agency had funded "woke" initiatives that conflicted with Trump's priorities and should face additional scrutiny.
Newsweek reached out to the White House, NIH, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Collins' office for comment on Monday afternoon. In a statement posted Monday, Collins argued that the Trump administration would be crossing a line if it moved forward with the proposal. "The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should not be involved in agency decisions on the awards of grants," Collins wrote on X.
She added that "any attempt to politicize grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or any other agency, by another means, whether an Executive Order or guidance, is contrary to congressional intent." Collins further warned that political review of grants already vetted by scientists would undermine the existing process. "Imposing a political review on awards that have already been selected through a rigorous scientific and merit-based process undermines the long-standing principle that the government funds awards based on scientific need and merit, rather than political ideology." Her statement came after congressional leaders from both parties raised concerns about the reported effort. The Washington Post reported Monday that Collins, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray and House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro all warned against giving the White House additional control over NIH grant decisions.
Collins' opposition to the latest proposal did not begin this month. In a July 6 letter to Vought, the Senate Appropriations Committee chair urged OMB to withdraw portions of a proposed government-wide grant-making rule and extend its comment period. Collins argued that parts of the proposal would undermine scientific and biomedical research, create burdens for small communities and conflict with Congress' authority over federal spending.
At the center of her concerns was a provision that would have required senior political appointees to conduct an additional review of grants after they had already completed scientific and merit-based evaluation. The proposal directed appointees to consider whether awards "demonstrably advance the President's policy priorities" and use their "independent judgment" when reviewing funding decisions. Collins warned at the time that political review could shift decisions away from scientific merit and toward ideological considerations.
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