Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Cut $783 Million in Research Funding

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration can move forward with cutting $783 million in research funding amid its efforts to reduce federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the Supreme Court decided Thursday.

The high court’s 5-4 ruling lifted a previous order from a lower judge that had blocked the funding cuts by the National Institutes of Health. The decision allows the administration to proceed with canceling numerous grants while legal challenges remain ongoing.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court’s three liberal justices in opposing the cuts. This ruling is considered another victory for President Trump, who has pushed to align federal funding with his administration’s priorities.

The plaintiffs, which include 16 Democratic state attorneys general and various public-health advocacy groups, contend that the funding cuts will have devastating effects on public health and human life. They argue that these actions could disrupt ongoing research and hinder potential scientific breakthroughs.

The Justice Department maintains that such funding decisions should not be open to court review, stating that policies labeled as diversity efforts can mask underlying racial discrimination.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the cases challenging the funding cuts should not be considered under an earlier Supreme Court ruling that permitted reductions in teacher-training programs, asserting these funding cuts belong in federal claims court instead.

In June, U.S. District Judge William Young expressed his concern over the cuts and their discriminatory implications, stating, “I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this.” He urged that the shift in funding could irreparably harm ongoing studies, potentially affecting researchers at critical points in their careers.

An appeals court has so far upheld Young’s decision, indicating the legal battle over these funding cuts is far from over.