Navy sailors assigned to Congress say they had to clip lawmakers’ toenails and deliver medication to their homes at 3 AM

Navy sailors assigned to Congress’s medical office said they were pressured to perform personal tasks for lawmakers that fell far outside their military duties, including clipping lawmakers’ toenails and delivering medication to private residences as late as 3 AM. Four sailors told Military Times they were given tasks that did not fit their positions, and multiple sailors have since been reassigned.

The sailors claimed they were also expected to provide medical support at birthday parties, dinners, and other VIP events. Those responsibilities were added to their normal duties, which they said led to workweeks of 70 to 80 hours.

One former Navy hospital corpsman said staff sometimes worked until 4 AM when Congress held late sessions, only to return for their regular shift at 6 AM. The Office of the Attending Physician provides medical care to members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

The sailors say the pressure went beyond the tasks themselves

Multiple sailors said that civilian supervisors discouraged them from taking leave, threatening to withhold monthly bonuses and pressuring personnel to stay in their roles past the expected three-year assignment. One former corpsman said a supervisor threatened them with deployment to the Middle East after they asked to leave the office, warning that the request could hurt their Navy career.

The treatment of sailors has drawn scrutiny in other settings too, including families raising deployed sailors’ mental health concerns with Navy leaders. Military Times reported that the Navy and the Office of the Attending Physician did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The Pentagon inspector general began an investigation into the Office of the Attending Physician in September 2025. The evaluation also covers the Defense Health Agency and the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. It remains unclear how widespread the alleged practices were or which specific individuals were involved.

The Navy has staffed the office since 1928, and it provides medical care to lawmakers, their staffs, Supreme Court justices, and visitors to the Capitol complex. Congress authorized $3.4 million to reimburse the Navy for bonuses and equipment associated with the office, according to Military Times.

Brian Monahan, Congress’s longtime attending physician, has since left his position, which two senators confirmed to the Associated Press. It is not clear whether his departure is connected to the sailors’ allegations. The Wall Street Journal later reported that a Pentagon inspector general report identified serious deficiencies in the office’s handling of medications, including inadequate oversight of controlled substances.