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The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the federal government would sharply curtail federal spending on medical research that uses tissue from aborted fetuses, mainly by ending fetal-tissue research within the National Institutes of Health. The move goes a long way toward fulfilling a top goal of anti-abortion groups that have lobbied hard for it; it is just the latest in a string of decisions that have pleased such groups. But scientists say the tissue is crucial for studies that benefit millions of patients. (Goodnough, 6/5)

The Department of Health and Human Services said it has discontinued all internal research that involves fetal tissue, which is obtained through elective abortions. External fetal-tissue projects that receive government funding will continue, but any grant application that is either new or up for renewal will require the approval of an ethics advisory board, the department said in a statement. “Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump’s administration,” HHS said in a statement. (Garde, 6/5)

As part of the new restrictions, HHS said it is conducting a comprehensive review of all research involving fetal tissue “to ensure consistency with statutes and regulations governing such research, and to ensure the adequacy of procedures and oversight of this research in light of the serious regulatory, moral, and ethical considerations involved.” (Weixel, 6/5)

There are 200 external government-funded projects that use fetal tissue that will not be affected by the decision, an HHS spokeswoman said. The new policy affects three of NIH's 3,000 internal projects, she said, adding that they will be allowed to continue until fetal tissue material runs out. (Abutaleb, 6/5)

The determination to tighten federal support for an ideologically polarizing aspect of medical research was made by President Trump himself, a White House spokesman confirmed. “This was the president’s decision,” said spokesman Judd Deere, calling it “another important policy . . . to protect the dignity of human life.” The change represents a victory for antiabortion advocates, who immediately lauded the change, and a major disappointment to scientists who say the tissue collected from elective abortions has been instrumental to unlocking the secrets of diseases that range from AIDS to cancers to Zika, as well as to developing vaccines and treatments for illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease. (Goldstein, 6/5)

The new restrictions had been closely guarded and fiercely debated within the Trump administration. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and domestic policy chief Joe Grogan had pushed for the outright ban on NIH using fetal tissue obtained from abortion, said the two officials with knowledge of those conversations. HHS Secretary Alex Azar had argued for a less restrictive policy that would have allowed ongoing research on tissue acquired from research institutions, those officials told POLITICO. (Johnson and Diamond, 6/5)

Critics said the administration was caving to conservative religious groups at the expense of science. “Ideologues should not be allowed to stand in for real doctors and scientists when the government is making decisions about lifesaving medicine,” said Megan Donovan, senior policy manager at the Guttmacher Institute, a policy group that supports abortion rights. (Armour, 6/5)

“The United States is the most innovative nation in the world; alternatives to fetal tissue research exist and should be pursued,” said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., in a statement. "It is reprehensible for anyone to profit from the tragedy of abortion and the Trump Administration is making that clear by saying no to this ethically tainted research." (Raman, 6/5)