Overview
- The Office of Management and Budget has proposed a rule that would move final review and approval of discretionary federal grants into centralized White House control and reduce the binding role of agency or expert peer review.
- Under the draft language, awards would be required to demonstrably advance presidential policy priorities and could not be used to promote broadly defined “anti‑American values,” a standard critics say is elastic and open to political judgment.
- Scientists, medical leaders, advocacy groups and local officials warn the change could halt or defund ongoing projects from clinical trials and women’s health research to Meals on Wheels, bridge repairs and broadband grants when political appointees reject awards.
- The proposal is in an open public comment period that closes in July and has already drawn organized opposition and tens of thousands of docket submissions, with several institutions and commentators publicly criticizing the plan.
- Legal and congressional challenges are likely if the rule is finalized because opponents say it substitutes White House policy control for agency rulemaking and expert review and could reshape grantmaking across federal programs.