White House stalls release of approved US science budgets

6 hours ago

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has delayed authorizing the release of research funding allocated in a budget bill signed into law on 3 February.
The NIH has not received approval to spend any of its $47-billion budget, while the NSF was authorized just last week, and NASA has full funding but with unusual restrictions on ten specific programs.
OMB director Russell Vought stated the office's role is to ensure agencies adhere to White House priorities and can provide less funding than Congress appropriated.
Democrats Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray demanded the OMB release funds as required by law, criticizing the delays as a drastic departure from historical practice.
The OMB revised the 'Budget Bible' (Circular A-11) to restrict 30-day funding portions to essential expenses like salaries, giving the White House more control over agency spending.
The NIH can only issue new research awards using leftover money from last November, slowing new grant awards to a trickle.
The NSF's spending was mostly restricted to staff salaries and facility operations until last week when OMB authorized its 2026 research funding.
Delays and a 43-day government shutdown have caused the NIH to award only 30% as many new grants compared to the past six years, with the NSF at about 20%.
NASA was told it cannot spend new money on ten specific science programs until it provides more details on fund usage, affecting missions to Venus and an Earth-threatening asteroid.

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