UPDATED: An undisclosed agreement could shift funding from research on HIV, malaria and tuberculosis to the defense department
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is reportedly attempting to divert some of the federal funding already approved for clinical research on treatments and vaccines for HIV, influenza, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, according to a September 3 press release issued by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut).
Rep. DeLauro, the ranking member of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for drafting legislation that allocates federal funds to national defense, government agencies and programs, says the Pentagon is trying to take the money through an agreement between the DoD and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) without notifying Congress.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut)
“This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous. The interagency agreement needs to be terminated immediately,” she said. “These funds were provided for lifesaving medical research, not as extra money for the Department of Defense. It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump’s war of choice with Iran.”
The exact amount of federal funding defense officials are attempting to divert is unknown, but Rep. DeLauro said the amount is in the billions. The agreement to transfer the funds has not been made public.
Circumventing Congress to divert money intended to help Americans who are exposed to HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases —and directing those funds to the Department of Defense—is beyond the pale,” DeLauro said.
The money was already approved by Congress for infectious disease research by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is the NIH’s leading infectious disease research institute. NIH disclosed the existence of the defense department’s efforts only after being pressed for information by Democrats on the Appropriations Committee.
Interagency agreements between NIAID and DoD are not entirely unusual. NIAID and the military have worked together on infectious disease research, such as NIAID’s Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program. What’s at issue is the charge that NIH funding is being redirected to the Pentagon’s budget.
The question of whether this is legal may hinge on the terms stated by the agreement. The Economy Act of 1932 allows federal agencies to share resources, place orders or transfer funding for goods and services to and from each other, but the law itself is not a process for shifting funds without a real service arrangement.
“The administration must provide Congress with a full accounting of how this interagency agreement was developed and exactly how much taxpayer money it is trying to transfer to DoD,” Rep. DeLauro said.
UPDATE: Friday, Sept. 4, 11:15a. CT
NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, posted on the social media platform x (formerly Twitter), defending the “partnership” between NIH and the Department of War:
“Far from siphoning money away from research, this partnership between @NIH and @DeptofWar focuses on research projects that will drive discoveries to improve the health of American citizens and members of the military. Led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, all work will be 100% aligned with our public health mission.”
HIV advocates are taking issue with the DoD’s action and NIH director Bhattacharya’s comments.
“There’s so little information that it’s difficult to know what to say yet other than that this is profoundly wrong,” said one advocate. “The money was appropriated for NIH by Congress, and a disingenuous tweet from Bhattacharya can’t change that. There’s also a total lack of transparency here.”
Post by NIH director Bhattacharya