The Department of Defense attempted to redirect billions of dollars in federal infectious-disease research funding to help cover its own budget shortfalls, according to reporting by Punchbowl News, drawing sharp criticism from a senior House Democrat.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, raised the alarm on Thursday, revealing that the Pentagon is seeking to divert billions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to Punchbowl News, the effort is being pursued through an interagency agreement with the NIH.

DeLauro warned that the agreement could give the Pentagon access to billions of dollars that Congress appropriated to the NIH's institute for infectious-disease research. The dispute touches on a core constitutional tension: Congress holds the power of the purse, and appropriators in both parties have historically resisted executive-branch efforts to shift funds away from their congressionally designated purposes.

"This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous," DeLauro wrote in a statement. "The interagency agreement needs to be terminated immediately."

She also pointed to the Pentagon's financial strain, writing: "It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump's war of choice with Iran."

Punchbowl News reported that President Donald Trump is requesting $1.5 trillion in funding for the Pentagon, but the request "seems as murky as ever."

According to DeLauro, the Pentagon is targeting the NIH's leading institute for infectious-disease research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). NIAID, long one of NIH's largest institutes, funds research on HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other pathogens, and played a central role in the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Circumventing Congress to divert money intended to help Americans who are exposed to HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases—and directing those funds to the Department of Defense—is beyond the pale," DeLauro wrote. "The administration must provide Congress with a full accounting of how this interagency agreement was developed and exactly how much taxpayer money it is trying to transfer to DoD."

NIAID's total budget is approximately $6.6 billion, according to Punchbowl News. A source told the outlet that the interagency agreement between the Pentagon and the NIH does not specify exactly how much money the Pentagon could draw from that budget.

The Pentagon did not respond to Punchbowl News' request for comment. Whether the administration provides the accounting DeLauro demanded—and whether appropriators move to block the agreement—are the open questions likely to shape the dispute in the coming weeks.