Collins calls on OMB to rescind parts of controversial proposed grant rule

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Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called on the Trump administration to withdraw some proposed changes to the federal grantmaking process, joining a growing chorus of opposition to a sweeping new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Collins on Monday sent a letter to OMB Director Russell Vought asking the agency to withdraw portions of the rule that she said would potentially harm small and rural communities and add uncertainty to scientific and biomedical research.

The proposed rule, rolled out with little fanfare late last month, would codify many policies the administration attempted through executive order and at the individual agency level. It would de-emphasize peer review and give wide latitude to political appointees to decide what research will “advance the President’s policy priorities.”

The rule would ban research on diversity, equity and inclusion in addition to gender as grant conditions and would place a broad prohibition on international scientific collaborations.

Collins specifically objected to a provision that would allow federal agencies to terminate any discretionary grant, cooperative agreement or other federal assistance at any time if an agency determines that a termination is in its best interest, including to align with agency priorities or the “national interest.”

Collins also objected to the provision requiring a political review of research grants.

“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 wrote.

The proposed rule also would impose new requirements on agencies to consider the president’s policy priorities when administering grants, without ensuring that those priorities are consistent with congressional intent for the administration of the awards.

The White House has characterized the proposed rule as necessary to improve transparency and cut down waste, fraud and abuse across all of government.

Collins’s letter comes days after a group of Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), sent their own letter to Vought, calling on him to rescind the proposal entirely.

The comment period ends Monday. So far, OMB has received more than 82,000 comments.

“We’re going to assess each one of those comments and make any changes that we need to,” Vought told a House panel last month.

The overall goal is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent in a way that is “aligned with the president’s agenda, as he got elected on behalf of the entirety of the American people,” Vought said.

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Chuck Schumer

Russell Vought

Susan Collins

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