Overview

• A GAO report released August 5 concludes that NIH violated the Impoundment Control Act by deferring roughly $8 billion in fiscal 2025 appropriations without issuing a mandated special message to Congress
• The agency canceled more than 1,800 active grants after President Trump issued executive orders barring funding for diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender-related research
• Between February and June 2025, NIH obligations fell roughly $8 billion compared with the same period in 2024 after grant review notices were paused
• In June, a federal judge permanently voided the funding cuts and ordered NIH to reinstate canceled grants as unlawful
• While nonbinding, the GAO findings bolster congressional oversight and could prompt lawmakers to demand restoration of appropriated NIH budgets