The Pentagon, as it struggles with a budget crunch driven by the Iran war, sought access to billions of dollars Congress provided to another agency for biomedical research, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee said Thursday.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said in a statement that the Defense Department had signed an interagency agreement that could give it access to funding appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, including money for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. DeLauro did not say the NIH signed the agreement and described what transpired as a Pentagon “attempt.”
It also was not immediately clear how much money the Pentagon was seeking, where within the Defense Department it would go or what it would pay for. DeLauro’s office said NIH officials disclosed the effort after House Appropriations Committee Democrats pressed them for information.
“This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous,” DeLauro said, calling for the agreement to be terminated. “It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump’s war of choice with Iran. But the Trump administration cannot make American patients, families, and scientists pay the price.”
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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funding was appropriated for biomedical research aimed at developing treatments or cures for infectious diseases, including influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and Ebola, DeLauro said.
DeLauro accused the Pentagon of attempting to make up for shortfalls caused by the war. “These funds were provided for lifesaving medical research, not as extra money for the Department of Defense,” she said.
NIH confirmed that it had explored a partnership with the Defense Department but described the effort as a collaboration on medical technologies, which would enable faster responses to emergencies, rather than the funding question. NIH said it and the Defense Department had explored ways to collaborate on therapeutics, diagnostics and personal protective equipment to protect against infectious diseases.
“NIH enters into partnerships with numerous government agencies,” an NIH spokesperson said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The push comes as the Pentagon searches for ways to cover a widening budget gap six months into the Iran war while it waits for Congress to approve its $95 billion supplemental spending request that mainly covers war costs.
The department says it needs the additional congressional funding to pay for combat operations, replenish munitions and sustain extended deployments. The Navy is facing a shortfall of between $6 billion and $8 billion as it contends with higher-than-expected war and personnel costs, its top admiral said last week.
The Pentagon has already taken steps to stretch its accounts. It has asked Congress for permission to shift $4.3 billion in previously appropriated funds, and the Navy has reportedly diverted money from payroll to cover combat costs.
This story has been updated with a comment from NIH.
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