Pentagon and NIH Signed a Biodefense Agreement That Democrats Say Could Move Billions Out of Infectious-Disease Research

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the senior Democrat on House Appropriations, disclosed on September 3, 2026 that the Defense Department and the National Institutes of Health had signed an interagency agreement giving the Pentagon access to NIH research money. The document, which Science reviewed, "facilitates the transfer of funds" from NIH to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War, expires in 2036 and states no dollar amount. It was signed in early August by NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Kadlec. DeLauro said the money would come from NIAID.

The dispute is over the appropriations power: DeLauro and Sen. Patty Murray say it was not proactively shared with Congress and could let the Pentagon spend funds lawmakers designated for biomedical research, as the department faces a $95 billion supplemental request tied to the Iran war.

The Pentagon called it a project-by-project collaboration that "does not constitute any blanket transfer of funds." House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said not one dollar has been transferred.