Trump Administration Unlawfully Holds Back Science Financing, According to Inspector's Report
The Trump administration has found itself in hot water after violating the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by withholding approximately $8 billion in congressionally approved funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The violation came to light when the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent congressional watchdog, issued a report concluding that the administration’s actions were illegal under the ICA and the Constitution. The GAO emphasised that any changes to appropriated NIH funding must come through proposed rescission legislation, not unilateral executive delay or cancellation.
The withheld funding affected grants related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), transgender issues, and environmental harms. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is urging Republicans to hold the administration accountable for not following the law, stating that Donald Trump is not a king, and the laws of the land are not suggestions.
The NIH is required to propose funds for rescission or legislation to make changes to the law for consideration by Congress. However, the withholding of funds threatened thousands of jobs nationwide and delayed critical medical research.
Sen. Merkley's statement was made on Tuesday, but it did not indicate any specific new findings or evidence regarding the withheld funds. The White House has been found in violation of the Impoundment Control Act, and Democrats are incensed by the administration's actions, which they see as an illegal power grab.
According to Democrats, the White House has blocked at least $425 billion in funding owed to the American people. Sen. Merkley is urging Congressional Republicans to join Democrats in calling for the release of more funding.
Despite the GAO's findings, it is not currently planning to sue the administration over the withheld funds. The withheld funds were intended for critical medical research, and the NIH has not provided evidence for the withholding of funds or shown that the delay was a permissible programmatic one.
In sum, by unilaterally withholding congressionally appropriated NIH funds to enforce policy priorities without notifying or obtaining consent from Congress, the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act and the constitutional principle that only Congress controls federal spending. The GAO's decision follows similar findings of the White House's illegal impoundment of spending previously approved by Congress.
- The Trump administration's actions, such as withholding NIH funding for policy priorities, have raised concerns about the separation of powers in both policy-and-legislation and politics, as only Congress has the constitutional authority to control federal spending, not the executive branch.
- The ongoing issue of withheld funds at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a matter of general-news interest, as Democrats argue that the administration's violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) may have potentially severe consequences for health research, affecting thousands of jobs and critical medical investigations.
