Pentagon Seeks to Divert Billions from NIH for Iran War Costs

The deal, disclosed to Congress only after intense pressure from the House Appropriations Committee, specifically targets the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. With an annual budget of roughly $7 billion, the institute serves as a prime source for research into HIV, influenza, and tuberculosis. Lawmakers argue the Pentagon is effectively bypassing congressional oversight to secure cash for a war effort that has already cost an estimated $37.5 billion.

Democratic leaders, including Senator Patty Murray, are demanding the immediate termination of the agreement. Critics contend the administration is prioritizing military expansion—currently backed by an annual budget exceeding $1.1 trillion—over critical biomedical research. While a spokesperson for the Trump administration claimed the funds would facilitate responses to public health emergencies, advocates like Leslie Dach of Protect Our Care dismissed the justification, calling the arrangement a budgetary shell game designed to mask the true costs of the Iran campaign.