GOP lawmakers fret over NIH research funding cap

Hill Republicans are expressing concern about NIH's abrupt decision to cap payments for overhead at universities and medical research centers, signaling growing pressure to potentially alter the policy.

Why it matters: The change affects billions of dollars for universities in red states and could be an early barometer of how much resistance there is to Elon Musk's broader "DOGE" efforts.

What they're saying: Sen. Katie Britt, one of the first GOP senators to speak out, told reporters Tuesday that she had a call with HHS Secretary-designee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• Britt didn't elaborate on what was said, but she had previously said she wanted to talk to Kennedy about ensuring "that we're being efficient with taxpayer dollars [yet] have the research capabilities that we need."
• "I know what happens at UAB, at the University of Alabama. It's tremendous. They do incredible work, they do incredible research, and it has yielded tremendous results that have saved lives across the country," Britt said. "We want to make sure that can continue."

House Appropriations Labor-HHS subcommittee chair Robert Aderholt also told Axios that he had been hearing feedback and concerns, including from the University of Alabama and Auburn University.

• "I support NIH, I think they do a lot of great work over there," he said. "So I obviously don't want to cut all the funding to NIH, but I think there's ways we can tweak it, to make it make sense."
• "We want to look at it, and work with the president and the administration and figure out how to cut the waste out, but make the mission still the same."

Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy also said he had spoken to research institutions in Louisiana that said that it will be "very difficult" for universities that don't have big endowments to conduct research.

• "Of course I want people in Louisiana to benefit from research dollars, and for them to not only go to Massachusetts and California," Cassidy said.

• Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS subcommittee, expressed some concern and said she is "hearing from my institutions."
• She said she wanted to avoid such a "dramatic reduction" in funding, adding, "I'm sure it'll be determined in the court."

State of play: On Monday, 22 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration to block the policy from taking effect, arguing that the action violated the Administrative Procedure Act and was "arbitrary and capricious."

• A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered a nationwide freeze late Monday while legal arguments play out.

The bottom line: Lawmakers have a variety of options at their disposal that they could use to try to stop the policy from going into effect, but haven't reached a consensus on how or whether to act.

• It's possible that they could ask Kennedy to change the policy once he's confirmed.
• They could also address it in a government funding bill, with the latest CR due to expire March 14.