April 5 (UPI) — A federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order this week permanently blocking the White House from limiting funding to the National Institutes of Health.
District Court Judge Angel Kelley delivered the order, after previously issuing a temporary ban prohibiting President Donald Trump’s administration from limiting funding to the medical research agency.
U.S. Attorneys asked Kelley to make that decision in a filing, setting the stage for an appeal to a higher court.
The NIH falls under the Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency responsible for public health research.
The judge initially issued the temporary order on March 5.
Friday’s ruling restores billions in funding for the time being, pending an expected appeal from behalf of the federal government.
“This case presents dispositive legal issues that Defendants will address on appeal to the First Circuit, and entering judgment would serve judicial efficiency and avoid the unnecessary expenditure of party resources,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley and Deputy Associate Attorney General Brian Lea wrote in the government’s filing.
The Trump administration in February announced plans to limit how NIH grants to research institutions, including hospitals, can be used for non-scientific aspects of research, such as facility maintenance.
The government argued the move would direct more money to actual scientific research, while hospitals have said it will force them to cover new costs and stifle innovation.
