The Pentagon has entered an interagency agreement that could allow it to access billions of dollars in biomedical research funds originally allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to statements from House and Senate Democratic leadership on Thursday, September 3. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) stated that the agreement involves the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and was only disclosed to Congress after inquiries from House members. The Pentagon is currently awaiting congressional approval for a $95 billion supplemental funding request to support the ongoing war in Iran.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the NIH and the Pentagon explored the partnership to support medical technologies, including therapeutics and personal protective equipment (PPE). The agency stated the collaboration would allow for a "nimble multi-agency" response to public health emergencies like the Ebola outbreak. While Democratic lawmakers stated the agreement establishes a framework to tap billions of dollars, the exact amount the Pentagon seeks and the specific intended uses remain unclear.
Separately, a report prepared by Democratic members of Congress found that the Pentagon has already diverted at least $2 billion of its own funds to support immigration enforcement and border operations. According to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, these diversions have impacted military readiness, resulting in the cancellation of two major exercises—"Vibrant Response" and a rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana—while a third exercise, "Ardent Sentry," was scaled back. The report noted that $1.3 billion was used for troop deployments to the Southwest border, and $200 million was redirected from military construction projects, such as housing and schools, to build a border barrier near Yuma, Arizona.
The scale of the reported diversions is significant, involving at least $2 billion already moved within the Pentagon's budget and the potential for "billions" more from the NIH. For context, the Pentagon operates on a budget of nearly $1 trillion, but the report indicates that funds are being pulled from specific $200 million construction projects, such as elementary schools at Fort Knox and in Stuttgart, Germany. Service members and their families may notice delays in the renovation or construction of military housing and educational facilities, while troops in the 10th Mountain Division have already experienced the cancellation of summer training rotations.
The knock-on effects include a documented reduction in military training exercises used to prepare for chemical, radiological, and biological incidents. The report also highlights that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet reimbursed the Pentagon for $40.3 million spent on military flights used for deportations, despite DHS receiving $170 billion for immigration enforcement earlier this year. What happens next depends on congressional oversight; patient advocates and lawmakers have called for investigations into the NIH agreement, while the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing with Pentagon officials to discuss the deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities.