U.S. Senators John Boozman and Katie Britt, along with twelve Republican colleagues, have urged the White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to release funds allocated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The senators emphasize that these funds are crucial for disease cure efforts, health advancement, biomedical innovation protection, economic benefits, and competition with countries like China.
The request specifically pertains to the implementation of the Fiscal Year 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. This act, signed into law by President Trump earlier this year, includes significant funding for NIH research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders.
“We are concerned by 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,” wrote the senators.
The letter further states: “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests.”
The letter was co-signed by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Bill Cassidy, M.D., Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Dave McCormick, Mitch McConnell, Jerry Moran, Lisa Murkowski, Tim Scott, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis and Todd Young.
