Republican lawmakers are publicly singing praises of President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk as they take a hatchet to federal grants and the civil service — but behind the scenes, many are privately begging the White House to spare their own states, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
A few weeks into the presidency, as their "slash-and-burn campaign to remake the government has begun to affect their states and districts, some Republicans have tried to push back in subtle ways," wrote Maya Miller and Katie Edmondson. For example, some Republicans have "sought carve outs and special consideration for agriculture programs, scientific research and more, even as they cheered on Mr. Trump’s overall approach."
As one example, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), "whose state has received more than $518 million in N.I.H. grants for projects currently active there, told a local news outlet that she would press administration officials to take a 'smart, targeted approach' to cuts so as to 'not hinder lifesaving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions' such as the University of Alabama at Birmingham." Meanwhile, several House Republicans representing rural areas introduced a bill that would move the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Department of Agriculture, and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) privately asked Trump to let food aid shipments, currently sitting blocked at U.S. ports, resume.
ALSO READ: House Dem brushes back CNN anchor's attempt to shame him for profane taunt of Elon Musk
USAID in recent days has been gutted by Trump and Musk with the intent of eliminating it outright, although a federal judge has tried to pump the brakes on this.
A small handful of Republicans, though, are urging full steam ahead even with cuts that could jeopardize their own states, like Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), whose state received over $1 billion in grants from the National Institutes of Health. “The idea that 60 percent goes toward indirect costs, overhead, is insane,” Moreno said of those grants — although NIH notes that figure is actually 26 percent.
Democrats are already seeking to drive this wedge further, hitting out at the GOP with the message, “Vulnerable House Republicans Hang Farmers Out To Dry,” specifically targeting those in closely contested districts with a large agricultural presence, like Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Don Bacon (R-NE).
