To say we find ourselves in an unprecedented time is cliché by now. Yet in perhaps the biggest attack yet, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) seeks to control all federal grant making! This will devastate science, public health, state and local governments and any agency, organization or individual that relies on federal grants.

The proposed rule would require a political appointee to have the final say on every grant, from science to infrastructure, without needing to consider expert opinion. Grants may be terminated for no reason at any time; institutions can be discriminated against based on whether or not they support the current administration policies. The proposed policy (docket OMB-2026-0034) is open for public comment through July 13, 2026.

This is a 5-alarm emergency. Therefore, DPH has created an OMB Response Team and will hold an emergency General Assembly on Tuesday, June 16, 5-6 pm ET where we will be joined by Dr. Elizabeth Ginexi and Robert Weissman. Dr. Ginexi served the National Institutes of Health for 22 years as a Scientific Program Official. She left NIH in April 2025 because she witnessed the new leadership replacing NIH's scientifically-driven system with one that is politically directed and violates the Public Health Service Act of 1944. Robert Weissman is co-president of Public Citizen and a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on corporate and government accountability. They will discuss the implications of the proposed rule, how to write effective comments on regulations.gov. and other actions needed to stop OMB.

DPH is developing a multi-pronged response that will include generating a huge number of public comments, contacting Congress, working in coalition with other organizations and more.

Don’t miss the June 16th General Assembly: Register Today!