Trump Administration Halt NIH Funding Violates Law – GAO
Trump Governance Illegally Impounded NIH Funds, Disrupting Research, GAO Finds
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a scathing report detailing how the Trump administration illegally withheld congressionally approved funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH),leading to the cancellation of over 1,800 grants and significant disruption to ongoing research. The actions, stemming from executive orders targeting equity- and gender-related programs, constitute an unlawful impoundment of funds under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
Significant Funding Cuts and Grant Cancellations
The GAO report reveals a dramatic decrease in NIH funding between February and June 2025. The agency obligated approximately $12.8 billion for awards – a staggering $8 billion less than the same period in 2024. This represents a 62% decrease compared to 2024 obligations and a 64% decrease compared to 2023.
the impact extended beyond simply slowing down funding; the administration actively canceled existing grants. By June,NIH had terminated more than 1,800 active grants following directives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),NIH’s parent agency. This disruption has far-reaching consequences for researchers and the advancement of critical medical knowledge.
How the Impoundment Occurred
The administration’s actions unfolded in several key steps:
pausing Grant Reviews
In January, HHS issued a directive pausing the publication of grant review notices in the Federal Register. This publication is a legal requirement before peer review meetings can be held. By halting this process, the NIH effectively froze the issuance of new grants for several weeks, creating a bottleneck in the research funding pipeline.
Violating the Impoundment control Act
The GAO determined that the administration’s withholding of funds constituted an illegal impoundment. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 mandates that the President submit a “special message” to Congress justifying any deferral of appropriated funds, even temporary ones. The administration failed to fulfill this legal requirement.
Legal Challenges and Ongoing Oversight
The grant terminations have faced legal challenges, with a federal court in Massachusetts already ruling that NIH’s implementation of the terminations was “arbitrary and capricious.” The GAO is continuing to monitor court findings and will adjust its assessment as needed.The agency has initiated 40 investigations into potential illegal impoundments by the Trump administration, previously identifying improper withholding of funds for programs like early childhood education and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
white House Response and Potential Litigation
The White House has denied the allegations and criticized the GAO’s findings. Reports indicate the administration may cease cooperation with some GAO inquiries. The GAO retains the authority to sue to compel the release of funds and has secured legal counsel, though litigation is considered a last resort.
as reported by The New York Times, this isn’t an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of attempted circumvention of Congressional authority. The disruption to NIH funding represents a significant blow to medical research and underscores the importance of upholding the legal framework governing federal spending.
Access the full GAO report here: https://www.gao.gov/assets/890/880607.pdf
Becker’s has reached out to the White House for comment and will update this story as more data becomes available.