1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the recent interagency agreement between the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense to collaborate on biodefense and pandemic preparedness. On the face of it, such collaboration could be sensible, as long as the NIH remains in charge of its own budget. However, reports indicate that this partnership could allow the Pentagon to access up to 2 billion dollars originally allocated by Congress for infectious disease research at the NIH. I am deeply troubled by the possibility that this agreement serves as a mechanism for the administration to bypass congressional oversight and shift public health funds to the military. It appears plausible that the Department of Defense is attempting to plug budget shortfalls resulting from the illegal war with Iran by raiding funds meant for lifesaving medical research. This is particularly alarming given the broader pattern of the Trump administration defunding the NIH and scrubbing pandemic preparedness from the agency's strategic priorities. The NIH should not be used as a slush fund to subsidize military operations or to pad the Pentagon budget. Our national security is better served by a robust, independently funded public health infrastructure than by diverting medical research money to an overextended defense budget. I urge you to take immediate action to ensure these funds are protected. Specifically, I request that you call for a formal investigation by the Government Accountability Office to determine if this agreement violates the original intent of the appropriations. Furthermore, I ask that you hold public oversight hearings and use your subpoena power to force the NIH and the Pentagon to disclose the full text of the agreement and the specific projects involved. If these investigations reveal that the agreement is being used to circumvent Congress or divert health funds to cover military deficits, I urge you to introduce legislation to terminate the agreement immediately. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting the integrity of American scientific research.