Senator Shelley Moore Capito has joined several of her Republican colleagues in pushing for disbursement of appropriated funds through the National Institutes of Health.
“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,” Capito, R-W.Va., and 12 colleagues wrote in a letter to White House Budget Chief Russ Vought.
The NIH is the top funder of biomedical research in the country. Over the past six months, there have been widespread grant cancellations, staffing reductions, and a freeze on certain types of research.
West Virginia University benefits significantly from funding through the National Institutes of Health — about $45 million in fiscal 2024.
“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,” Capito and her colleagues warned.
“It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results.”
The letter went on to say, “We respectfully request that you ensure the timely release of all FY25 NIH appropriations in accordance with congressional intent.
“Doing so will ensure continued momentum in curing disease, supporting American innovation, and delivering results for hardworking families.”
Congress, which has the constitutional power of the purse, has been involved with ongoing push and pull with the executive branch over appropriations.
Earlier this month, the Republican-led Congress passed a bill to rescind $9 million in previously allocated federal funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting.
Last week, Capito and West Virginia Senator Jim Justice praised an announcement that the U.S. Department of Education will officially release fiscal 2025 funding to support 21st Century Community Learning Centers to states.
That followed a July 16 letter from Capito, Justice and other senators to Vought, seeking release of the education formula funding.