Don’t Let the Pentagon Raid NIH Medical Research Funds

The Pentagon is trying to get its hands on billions of dollars Congress set aside for lifesaving medical research.

A newly disclosed interagency agreement could allow the Department of Defense to tap funds from the National Institutes of Health, including money supporting research into HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases.

That money belongs in laboratories, clinics, and medical research — not in the Pentagon’s already enormous budget.

Tell Congress: Stop the Pentagon from raiding NIH medical research funds.

The Pentagon already consumes hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars every year. If Pete Hegseth and military leaders want even more, they can come before Congress, explain why, and ask for it in public. They should not be allowed to reach into funding Congress specifically approved to fight disease and save lives.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Patty Murray have called for the agreement to be terminated, but we need more lawmakers to act. It remains unclear whether NIH has signed the deal or whether any money has moved — which means Congress may still have a chance to shut this down before the Pentagon gets access to the funds.

Congress controls these appropriations and can explicitly prohibit NIH research funds from being transferred to the Defense Department. They must block the transfer and make sure every dollar Congress appropriated for medical research stays where it belongs.

Patients waiting for treatments and scientists searching for breakthroughs should not have to compete with the Pentagon for money Congress already dedicated to medical research.

The Pentagon has enough money. Keep its hands off NIH.

Add your name now and demand Congress stop this raid before lifesaving medical research dollars disappear into the Pentagon.

The petition to the United States Congress reads:

“Stop the Pentagon from accessing funds appropriated for NIH medical research. Block any transfer of NIH research dollars to the Department of Defense, require full disclosure of the Pentagon-NIH agreement, and keep this funding dedicated to lifesaving medical research.”