House GOP chair accuses HHS of "changing their story" on NIH reappointments snafu

A top-ranking House Republican on Tuesday accused the Department of Health and Human Services of "changing their story," after the Biden administration defended the legality of its reappointments for key National Institutes of Health officials that Republicans have questioned.

The claim from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the GOP-led House Energy and Commerce Committee, follows a Friday letter from the panel to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. 

The panel alleged that 14 top-ranking NIH officials were not lawfully reappointed at the end of 2021, potentially jeopardizing billions in grants they approved.