OAN’s Geraldyn Berry
6:15 PM – Thursday, July 13, 2023
Democrat Representative Summer Lee has questioned the Department of Defense over the military’s high allocation of funds towards seemingly frivolous expenses, especially Viagra.
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This comes as in recent years, there has been an ongoing debate about the exorbitant military budget of the United States.
During a hearing in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Rep. Lee directed a pointed question at John Tenaglia, a principal director at the Department of Defense. She asked about the average annual expenditure on Viagra within the military.
Tenaglia answered that he did not possess that information to which Lee quickly responded, revealing the figure to be approximately $41.6 million.
Lee drew a sharp contrast between this expenditure and the urgent infrastructural needs in her district, pointing out that the recent collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh could be rebuilt with a fraction of the funds spent on Viagra, which amounted to $25.3 million.
Critics argue that this extravagant spending on Viagra is indicative of a broader pattern of misplaced priorities within the Department of Defense, and that redirecting a portion of these funds towards urgent domestic needs could yield significant benefits for society. They argue that allocating such vast sums to non-essential items undermines the funding necessary for vital infrastructure projects, education, healthcare, and other pressing needs of the American people.
Supporters of military spending contend that the military budget is complex and encompasses a wide range of essential components. They argue that focusing solely on individual expenditures can be misleading, as it fails to consider military operations’ overall impact and effectiveness. Furthermore, they assert that the military requires a robust medical infrastructure to meet the healthcare needs of its personnel, including addressing issues such as erectile dysfunction.
However, proponents of the status quo contended that maintaining a strong military is essential for national security and global stability. They argue that the intricacies and complexities of military spending require careful analysis and consideration and that a reduction in military expenditures could compromise the country’s ability to protect itself and its allies.
It is believed that the Pentagon’s healthcare system covers almost 10 million individuals in total, including numerous military retirees and their families.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a 2015 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that male veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were “significantly more likely than their civilian counterparts to report erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems”.
In one case, male combat veterans with PTSD reported having erectile dysfunction nearly four times as much as those who have not been diagnosed with a mental health issue.
According to the Military Times, less than 10% of the prescriptions were really for active service members.
However, since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, erectile dysfunction among individuals now serving in the U.S. military has been rising.
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