Democrats are poised to take control of Congress, and some are vowing to do more than play defense against the Trump administration’s overhaul of federal research. But much of that overhaul may lie beyond their reach, as The New York Times reports.
“The reality is, most of the shenanigans have been coming from the administration,” said Jeremy Berg, a former institute director at the National Institutes of Health. “And that will likely continue.”
1. Reclaiming the grant-making machine
The GOP-led Congress rejected steep NIH cuts, yet the White House used executive orders, staffing cuts and political review to slow research spending. Democrats want tighter oversight of withheld funds and firmer limits on grant reductions.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, who is seeking to lead the House Science Committee, wants Congress to be more “prescriptive.” “In some cases, the damage can’t be undone,” she said. “But we can prevent it from continuing.” Political vetting of grants, however, remains largely beyond Congress’s reach.
2. New investigative targets
Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, who has defended Anthony Fauci, is set to replace Rand Paul as chair of the Senate homeland security committee. She could end Fauci probes and instead investigate the administration’s withheld funds and grant-review changes. The election also ushered out a longtime NIH champion, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
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3. AI guardrails
Voters passed 40 of 41 ballot initiatives to halt or limit AI data centers. That could widen the gap between giants like OpenAI and Google and smaller players, and push AI costs higher. A Democratic Congress may also pursue AI safety bills and new copyright protections.
4. Safe space
NASA is unlikely to see major shifts. Congress has long backed the agency against presidents of both parties, ignoring Trump’s bid to nearly halve robotic science programs, and bipartisan Artemis support remains strong amid fears of ceding the moon to China.
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