Now’s the Time to Contact Congress About the Impact of OMB’s Proposed Overhaul of Grant Regulations

In the face of a proposed rule that would result in greater political oversight of how federal grants are administered, there’s a new opportunity to speak up as scientist-citizens about the rule’s potential impact: by contacting Congress. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) introduced this rule earlier this summer, and I thank everyone who answered GSA’s call to submit public comments. Nearly 500,000 individuals and organizations ended up responding to the OMB, with about 95% of the comments opposing the proposal. 

GSA has again updated its resource page on the OMB proposed rule, this time with guidance for voicing your concerns to Congress along with a recording of our August 10 GSA member town hall, “What's at Stake? Protecting the Research Ecosystem That Benefits Us All as We Age.”

Congress has the power to act on this rule, and the Senate has already included a provision in its continuing resolution that would delay its implementation. But the House of Representatives would need to do the same before a final funding measure is enacted. This is why it’s important to get in touch with your members of Congress, and GSA’s resources will make it easy for you to do so.

GSA has developed a guide for engaging with Congress about the proposed rule, with separate phone scripts for Senate and House offices, a voicemail script, an email/written template, and talking points for a district or state office meeting. Elected representatives need to know how constituents and institutions in their communities would be affected. The August recess is one of the best times to reach district and state offices directly.

We will continue to keep members updated on Congressional actions about this proposed rule, as well as any OMB actions following its review of all comments submitted through the public process. The rule would have far-reaching effects on aging research, research training, scientific collaboration, innovation, and the broader ecosystem that supports older adults and their communities — as well as many other sectors that receive federal funding. As mentioned above, the OMB received half a million responses from concerned parties. It would be hard for Congress to ignore an equal number of concerns raised from the people they represent!