NIH Vigils Newsletter 8/16/2025
Dear NIH Vigil Aunties and Vigilantes,
Welcome to the first installment of the NIH Vigils newsletter! The goal of this newsletter is to keep you informed about what is happening at the NIH so that you can continue to help us advocate for the NIH mission: to fund essential research toward enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing illness and disability.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Calling for RFK Jr.’s Impeachment
Stand Up For Science released a petition calling for RFK Jr.’s impeachment and removal. Sign it and other letters and agency declarations at https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action.
New Executive Order - IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL GRANTMAKING
This EO codifies ongoing politicization of science by empowering a political appointee to approve or veto notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs), grant review by expert panels, grant awards, and grant terminations. This EO also came on the same day that the Director overseeing peer review at the Center for Scientific Review announced her retirement on Aug. 31. We expect she will be replaced by a political appointee or similar.
NIH Response to CDC Shooting
After last week’s shooting at the CDC, Jay Bhattacharya was featured on Steve Bannon’s podcast ‘War Room’ and continued to spread dangerous and inflammatory misinformation about vaccines and the origins of COVID-19. Despite the presence of NIH staff in CDC headquarters buildings at the time, Jay did not issue a statement about the shooting until Tuesday.
Continued Retaliation at EPA
After EPA released their own Declaration of Dissent following the Bethesda Declaration, EPA staff who signed publicly were retaliated against and put on administrative leave. That leave has been extended twice and was extended a third time yesterday, continuing to double-down and punish signers for dissent. Last week, the EPA federal union contract was also terminated.
ON THE HORIZON
Pocket Recission
Pocket rescission is a tactic to cancel previously approved funds without Congressional approval.
It can be done within 45 days of end of fiscal year, which begins Aug. 16.
SCOTUS ruling
SCOTUS will soon rule on the DOGE cancellation of hundreds of grants they labeled “DEIA”.
Judge Young ruled the cancellations were unlawful and blatantly discriminatory.
The White House asked the Supreme Court to stay Judge Young’s ruling and allow the grant cancellations to move forward.
This case is now on their shadow docket, which means they may issue a ruling at any time and with no justification.
What Can You Do?
Continue to contact your Congresspeople. Hearing from their constituents on these issues (and often!) puts pressure on them to act if they are not yet supportive, and gives their actions legitimacy if they are.
Join us weekly, volunteer to help, and spread the word about the NIH Vigils and 27 uNIHted (https://www.27unihted.org/). More ideas at https://indivisible.org/resource/guide.
Join our Signal chat for updates on NIH Vigils, important developments, and community. Email nihmemorials@proton.me or nihaction@gmail.com with your Signal user name to be added to the chat. You can also email us to be added to the newsletter list if this was forwarded to you or to send comments or questions.
Keep up the good trouble, and stay safe out there.
In solidarity,
NIH Vigils