Administration Overhauls Federal Grant Awarding Process and Priorities

The Office of Management and Budget initiated spending reforms to overhaul how the federal government awards grants and guides spending, aligning these changes with administration priorities. These reforms include adding English-only and E-Verify requirements to combat illegal immigration and curtailing grants that advocate certain causes. Separately, reports indicate that the presidential office has been accused of holding back federal grants worth $7.5 billion if recipients did not vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

The changes fundamentally alter the criteria for federal funding, enabling political appointees to suspend or terminate grants that do not align with the administration’s orders. Furthermore, reports detail plans to establish a committee to oversee and potentially veto scientific grants issued by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which would overhaul how federal money is allocated to science.