Stops political appointees from influencing NIH science and funding
The "Follow the Science Act" aims to keep politics out of health research. It would prevent most political employees from working at NIH or influencing its funding decisions. The bill also makes it harder for NIH to cancel research projects without clear proof of fraud or financial problems.
Today, political employees can work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), help manage its programs, and influence decisions about research funding. The NIH can also cancel or delay funding agreements under existing rules. If this bill becomes law, most political employees would be banned from working at NIH or influencing its funding decisions for both NIH and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. NIH would also need written proof of fraud or financial issues and must notify Congress within 30 days before canceling or delaying a research project.
HR 7173 · 119th Congress · January 21, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.