Pentagon, NIH Sign Biodefense Pact Worth Up to $2 Billion as Democrats Warn of Fund Diversion
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
Pentagon, NIH Sign Biodefense Pact Worth Up to $2 Billion as Democrats Warn of Fund Diversion
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
Summary
$2 billion in NIH infectious-disease funding could be swept into a new Pentagon-NIH biodefense and pandemic-preparedness agreement, according to people familiar with the deal.
The interagency pact does not list a dollar amount or projects, but Democrats say it could give the Defense Department access to roughly one-third of NIAID's budget and let it redirect money Congress appropriated for medical research.
Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray called for the agreement to be terminated, accusing the Pentagon of trying to bypass Congress and use health-agency funds for its own priorities.
Jay Bhattacharya, the NIH director, defended the arrangement, saying it would support research that improves health for civilians and military personnel rather than siphon money from science.
The dispute lands amid broader Democratic concerns that the Trump administration has used similar interagency agreements and grant cancellations to work around congressional spending decisions.
With major international events underway in 2026, how will the unprecedented Pentagon-NIH alliance reshape America's defense against emerging biological threats?
What happens when military strategy merges with public health, and who truly controls the future of lifesaving infectious disease funding?