Trump admin reportedly considers NIH grant approval takeover

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Healthcare Newsletter Trump admin reportedly considers NIH grant approval takeover by Joseph Choi and Nathaniel Weixel - 09/21/26 6:58 PM ET Link copied by Joseph Choi and Nathaniel Weixel - 09/21/26 6:58 PM ET Link copied NOW PLAYING Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Health Care newsletter Subscribe Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Trump reportedly looking to take over NIH grantmaking Dissatisfied with how grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are being awarded, the Trump administration reportedly began discussions over the weekend to add more political influence over how the funds are distributed. © Lydia Polimeni, NIH via Associated Press file The Washington Post reported on Friday of a fraught meeting held in the Oval Office in which senior administration staffers argued over whether NIH was continuing to fund research at odds with President Trump’s priorities. On Sunday, The New York Times reported administration officials were drafting an executive order to create an external committee that would have the power to veto awards that don’t align with Trump’s political agenda. White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought reportedly accused NIH of funding “woke” initiatives, though agency Director Jay Bhattacharya reportedly defended the grantmaking process. When reached for comment, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) senior press secretary Emily Hilliard said in a statement to The Hill: “HHS remains focused on NIH’s core mission of supporting rigorous biomedical research that improves the health of the American people. We will continue to prioritize Gold Standard Science, transparency, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.” Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), in charge of the Senate Appropriations Committee, blasted news of the White House’s plans on Monday. “The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should not be involved in agency decisions on the awards of grants,” Collins said in a statement. Murray said in a statement, “NIH funding doesn’t belong to Donald Trump — it belongs to the patients and families waiting on the next medical breakthrough.” Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the healthcare sector this week and beyond: Collins, Murray speak out against reported Trump push to ‘politicize grantmaking’ Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke out Monday against the White House’s reported plans to give political appointees more control over the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) grantmaking process. Multiple outlets reported over the weekend that the White House is planning to impose more political oversight over NIH grantmaking due to the … Full Story Pritzker says he’s lost 80 pounds on GLP-1: ‘I’ve been driven my whole life to lose weight’ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said in a new interview that he has dropped 80 pounds using a GLP-1 drug. “I have been driven my whole life to lose weight,” Pritzker said in an interview that aired Monday on “CBS Mornings.” “The fact that I am now able to do it because this GLP-1 became available is truly, like, I mean, it’s something that has meant a lot to me,” he added. Medicines including semaglutide, tirzepatide … Full Story EPA launches drinking water study looking for traces of abortion pills The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a drinking water quality study that will for the first time look for traces of abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol — something anti-abortion activists, attorneys general and lawmakers have been lobbying the agency to do for years. The agency stopped short of making mifepristone an official water contaminant that would require regulation, but abortion opponents … Full Story On Our Radar Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a business meeting Thursday to go over the nominations of Nicole Saphier to be Surgeon General and Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service as well as Timothy Westlake to be Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. The HELP Committee will also hold a confirmation hearing Thursday on the nomination of Heidi Overton to be the next FDA Commissioner. In Other News Branch out with a different read: Kidney disease of unknown origin spreads in US. Who is at risk? (NEXSTAR) – Doctors in Texas say they have seen an increasing number of otherwise healthy young men coming in on the brink of organ failure. The health care practitioners told Texas Monthly they believe the culprit is CKDu, or chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, an unexplained form of kidney disease that can quickly turn deadly. Full Story Around the Nation Local and state headlines on healthcare: NY cut free health insurance for 450,000 this summer. Here’s where they went (Syracuse.com) South Dakota receives $11 Million NIH grant to build statewide research network (Dakota News Now) Vaccine rates fall again among WA kindergartners; K-12 numbers steady (The Seattle Times) What We’re Reading Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: What a vote on Grail’s cancer detection test could mean for the company, patients, and regulators (Stat) Trial supports new method for easing IUD insertion pain (MedPage Today) Why older Americans are drinking more alcohol—not less (Time) What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Healthy food is the missing piece in health savings and flexible spending accountsPresident Trump is bringing healthy food from harvest to hallways You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! Add as preferred source on Google Tags JB Pritzker Russell Vought Susan Collins Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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