{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-joins-colleagues-to-protect-integrity-of-scientific-research-demand-omb-director-vought-rescind-politicized-regulation", "Shaheen Joins Colleagues to Protect Integrity of Scientific Research, Demand OMB Director Vought Rescind Politicized Regulation", "2026-07-09", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "NH", "Jeanne Shaheen", "S001181", "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "shaheen", "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) \u2013 U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined 11 of her Senate colleagues in submitting public comment to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to demand OMB rescind a proposed rule, broadly titled \u201cRegulation for Federal Financial Assistance\u201d, that could alter how nearly all federal agencies administer grants and financial agreements. The proposed change would give the White House more political control over these awards, which could enable corruption, undermine U.S. scientific investments and competitiveness and block funding for critical life-saving research and collaboration.\n\nThe Senators wrote, in part: \"The proposed changes solidify federal grant-making as an unprecedented partisan power-grab that eliminates transparency of how taxpayer dollars are spent. This rule would derail American innovation and competitiveness at the local and national levels, kill good-paying American jobs, drive up costs for families, and halt essential projects in local communities.\u201d\n\nThey continued: \u201cInstead of supporting data-driven investments that pay dividends for the American people, this guidance facilitates partisan ideals and cronyism, leaving Americans in the dark.\u201d\n\nThe Senators concluded: \u201cWe share the goals of improved transparency, accountability, and oversight; clarification of regulatory structure; and reducing recipient burden\u2013all in pursuit of continuing America\u2019s global leadership in science and innovation. However, these regulations would act in opposition to these goals. They would undermine our country\u2019s competitiveness, erode our scientific ecosystem, increase unwanted bureaucracy, enable corruption, and perpetuate uncertainty across our local communities. We strongly urge you to withdraw this proposed rule.\u201d\n\nOMB has proposed sweeping changes to the rules governing how federal agencies award and administer grants and cooperative agreements. These are the primary mechanisms through which the country funds basic research, applied science and scientific workforce development. These agencies also fund a wide array of grants for local projects, including but not limited to, infrastructure, public health, resource conservation and rural development. The proposed rules formalize an August 7, 2025, Executive Order that directed OMB to expand political oversight over all federal awards.\n\nShaheen was joined by U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).\n\nNonpartisan, unbiased federal funding for research is critical to scientific advancement, technological growth and medical breakthroughs\u2014ensuring the United States remains on the cutting-edge of innovation. Amid the Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to politicize federal funding and undermine scientific integrity, Senator Shaheen has continued to fight back. In May, Shaheen helped lead the Scientific Integrity Act to protect scientific research from being politicized or unduly influenced by special interests.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-10T08:20:04Z", "2026-07-10T08:21:18Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-joins-colleagues-to-protect-integrity-of-scientific-research-demand-omb-director-vought-rescind-politicized-regulation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.997285919263959, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}