Agencies find ways to bypass Congress on grantmaking changes

@sn_handler: Samantha Handler, posting as @sn_handler, serves as a policy reporter at Punchbowl News focusing on Congress, federal agencies, and appropriations matters. She authored the reporting linked in the news that details how some agencies are navigating around congressional efforts to manage the budget office's grantmaking changes. White House budget office: The White House budget office, formally known as the Office of Management and Budget, develops and executes the federal budget while coordinating policy across agencies. Under the current administration, it has advanced regulatory proposals to expand political appointees' role in reviewing and approving federal grants to ensure alignment with presidential priorities. This proposal forms the core of the developments covered in the news regarding congressional appropriators and agency responses. Grant Oversight: The administration's proposals would require political appointees to ensure federal grants demonstrably advance the president's policy priorities rather than relying solely on peer review or agency experts. Congressional Limits: Appropriators had sought to resolve issues raised by the budget office's push for greater political control over grants through legislative measures.