Senate Republicans join in rebuking White House over science funding

Senate Republican leaders unveiled a spending bill that would temporarily block President Donald Trump from implementing a rule change that would give political appointees sweeping power over hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants. The provision was tucked into a bipartisan measure to fund the government through Dec. 11 that was negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and reviewed by Senate GOP leaders. It marks another notable rebuke of the president by senators from his own party. In a statement, Sen Collins said she is “pleased” the provision was included in the spending agreement. She also said the White House rule change has the “potential to politicize grants and harm small, rural communities, families, and biomedical research.”