The Biden administration is facing criticism from House Republicans for allegedly failing to properly reappoint more than a dozen top-ranking leaders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This has raised concerns about the legality of billions of dollars in federal grants that these officials have distributed over the past year. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the House Republicans outlined their concerns and questioned the validity of over $25 billion worth of biomedical research grants awarded in 2022 alone. The Biden administration has denied the accusations, claiming that they followed the requirements set by the 21st Century Cures Act passed in 2016. According to the law, NIH directors must be reappointed every five years by the Secretary of HHS through the NIH Director. The committee argues that the reappointments made by the NIH Director do not meet the law’s requirements. The dispute has led to a back-and-forth between the committee and the department, with the committee accusing HHS and NIH of misleading them. The department has responded by asserting that they have cooperated with the committee’s inquiries and provided the necessary documents and responses. The committee’s investigation is ongoing and has prompted further inquiries and the possibility of demanding interviews with HHS and NIH officials. The committee also warned of potential legal violations and formally requested the preservation of all records. The issue has raised concerns about the impact on NIH funding programs and the possibility of legal challenges. The committee believes that the appointments made by improperly appointed officials may need to be revisited in front of a legally appointed judge, drawing a parallel with a previous case involving SEC Administrative Law Judges. The committee’s letter also highlighted the importance of properly appointing institute directors who have the authority to award billions of dollars in research funding. It cited a former senior HHS official’s opinion that the Secretary cannot delegate their constitutional authority to appoint inferior officers. The committee’s letter coincides with the Biden administration’s delays in filling key vacancies in NIH leadership. The agency has been without a director since December 2021, and President Biden’s nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to fill the role is awaiting Senate confirmation. However, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has expressed his opposition to moving forward with the nomination until there is a clear strategy from the Biden administration on lowering prescription drug prices.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
