The White House is backing away from a reported plan to give political appointees veto power over National Institutes of Health grants after pushback from Senator Susan Collins.

Earlier this month, the Washington Post and Politico reported that President Donald Trump had directed budget director Russell Vought to draft an executive order creating a commission to review NIH grants. The proposed board, which would have included Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, could have blocked research awards that did not align with administration priorities.

The NIH distributes about $48 billion a year, mostly to university and medical labs, based on expert peer review of scientific merit.

Collins sent a letter on September 22 urging Vought and Bhattacharya not to move forward. Days later, she told reporters the White House had listened to concerns. Semafor reported the administration was retreating from the original plan, though officials may revisit the idea after the midterms.

No executive order has been issued. Current grants and studies are not affected.