Defense: Pentagon, GOP defend NIH partnership

The Pentagon and House Republicans are staunchly defending a deal between the Defense Department and NIH amid Democratic criticism that the military is improperly using the arrangement to shore up its coffers. Instead, GOP lawmakers and administration officials say the interagency effort is a joint research push to fight infectious diseases — even as Democrats doubled down on their scrutiny. The text of the interagency agreement, obtained by Punchbowl News, said it's for the 'research and development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear' threats. You're seeing a preview of our Premium coverage. Read the full story by subscribing here.