SRL for [defuse]: Earlier this week , Dr. Sullivan tried to [defuse] these charges by stressing that candidates to head the NIH and the CDC will be judged by `` standards of scientific and administrative excellence , '' not politics .
ARG-0: Dr. Sullivan | ARG-1: these charges | ARG-M-MNR: by stressing that candidates to head the NIH and the CDC will be judged by `` standards of scientific and administrative excellence , '' not politics