On July 25, Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), alongside 13 Republican colleagues, sent a letter to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought urging him to expedite the release of appropriated fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH receives predominantly one-year funding, and therefore dollars that are not obligated by the end of the fiscal year (September 30) must be returned to the U.S. Treasury.
The 14 Republican Senators emphasized the importance of NIH-supported research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders, and warned that delays in funding could disrupt ongoing studies, threaten jobs, and undermine public trust in biomedical science. The letter expresses concern about the “slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results.”
The lawmakers asserted their commitment to ensuring NIH investments are grounded in scientific merit, transparency, and national interest, and noted their shared goal of restoring public trust in NIH. “Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.”
AAI will send thank you notes to each of the Senators applauding them for their commitment to this important issue. AAI members who live in these states are encouraged to send personal thank you notes to their Senators. The 14 signatories are: Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), David McCormick (R-PA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC).
On July 29, The Wall Street Journal reported that NIH had placed a freeze on all funding for research grants, contracts, and training awards pending a review by OMB of unspecified length. Later that same evening, OMB spokesperson Rachel Cauley said “this was a programmatic review of NIH funding” and that “the funds were released,” according to an article in The Washington Post. While it appears that NIH does now have access to all funds appropriated by Congress for FY 2025, the agency has just 2 months to spend the estimated ~$15 billion in funding before the fiscal year concludes.
