Aug 5, 2017 2 min read

I am shocked about a recent vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. The House shot down an amendment that would have reversed President Obama’s taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgeries for troops.

It is ludicrous that folks in the military can have this surgery at the cost of the taxpayers. This country is $20 trillion in debt, and we’re paying for this? The cost of one person having this surgery is upwards of $200,000. There are therapies of various kinds and multiple surgeries. The individual has to be taken off duty until the whole process is complete. The hormone prescriptions that have to be taken for life are also paid for by the taxpayer.

The security of our nation is at risk here. The United States military is not a social experiment. There were 24 Republicans who voted to not end this social experimentation. In fact, four of them are in Pennsylvania, with the closest representative being Bill Shuster, whose district includes parts of Washington and Greene counties.

Where does the insanity end? How can our representatives allow something like this to happen. The line has to be drawn somewhere. Most folks are OK with transgender individuals being a part of our military, but having the change be carried out while they are actively serving seems irresponsible.

How is this the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for someone’s sex change?

Anthony Kalosky

Washington