Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and 13 other Senate Republicans have called on the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to release funds already appropriated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In a letter addressed to OMB Director Russell Vought, the senators stressed the importance of these funds for ongoing research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders.
“We write to ask you to fully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, including funds appropriated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The continuing resolution supports NIH initiatives across a range of critical research areas — cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare pediatric disorders, and more. These vital efforts are not only necessary to Make America Healthy Again, but also have a direct impact on American families, biomedical innovation, our economy, and competing with Communist China,” the senators wrote.
The group expressed concern about delays in disbursing fiscal year 2025 NIH funds. They warned that any suspension or delay could undermine essential research efforts and threaten jobs supported by NIH grants.
“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. 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. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results. We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological,” the senators continued.
The letter emphasized shared priorities around responsible use of federal funding for scientific research. The senators said they trust that relevant officials will maintain high standards in awarding grants.
“We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation,” the senators concluded.
Thom Tillis has held his Senate seat since defeating Kay Hagan in 2014 with 48.8% of the vote compared to Hagan’s 47.3%. He was re-elected in 2020 after winning against Cal Cunningham with 48.7% over Cunningham’s 46.9%.
The full text of the letter is available online.
