Susan Collins Slams Trump’s Attempted Overhaul of Federal Grants

The Trump administration’s plan to make sweeping changes to federal grantmaking is getting pushback from at least one powerful Republican.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, is accusing the administration of proposing changes that would “undermine scientific and biomedical research.”

In late May, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought proposed a massive overhaul of how the federal government gives out money that would allow any grant, including scientific research grants, to be terminated at any time. The new changes would also require funding awards to “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities.”

Vought’s proposal has sparked significant fear and outrage across the scientific research community, as well as from the many smaller organizations that depend on federal dollars to provide community services in rural areas.

“Adding this additional review for awards that have already been selected through a scientific, merit-based peer review process would undermine the objective that the Federal government fund scientific and biomedical research projects based on scientific merit and value, rather than political ideology,” Collins, the senior Maine senator seeking reelection this year, wrote in a letter to Vought posted Wednesday.

Collins asked Vought to revoke the parts of the proposed rule that would create new burdens for scientific and rural communities, and to extend the comment period to 90 days.

The proposal is more than 400 pages long, and reviewers were only given 45 days to comment. The timeline for the overhaul’s review indicates that the new process could go into effect for the coming fiscal year, which begins in October.

While every Senate Democrat has already come out vehemently against the rule, Collins’ opposition from her place as chief appropriator usually carries significantly more weight with the White House OMB.

Vought, however, has been far less deferential to congressional intent than previous budget chiefs. Most notably, he successfully managed to push through $9 billion in rescissions for spending approved by Congress, despite Collins’ objections that the move took away Congress’ power of the purse.

OMB did not immediately respond to request for comment.