Congress's Top Doctor, a Navy Rear Admiral, Steps Down Amid Misconduct Probe

Rear Adm. Brian Monahan, the Navy physician who has cared for members of Congress and Supreme Court justices since 2009, is out as the Capitol's attending physician while investigators examine allegations of misconduct inside the office he led ^[1][2][5].

The Wall Street Journal reported that Monahan resigned as Congress's top doctor amid the probe ^[5]. The Washington Sun, citing a senior congressional source, also reported a resignation, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune told the outlet, "My understanding is he's resigned." ^[1] Punchbowl News had first reported that the Navy removed Monahan amid an investigation into alleged misconduct, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, Mediaite noted ^[4]. Neither Monahan nor the Navy had publicly announced the departure, and the Navy's website still listed him in the job, according to the Washington Sun ^[1].

What investigators are examining

No findings have been made public, and Monahan had not publicly answered the allegations in the reports reviewed. The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that the complaints center mainly on a toxic workplace, the handing out of medications to lawmakers and their staff without prescriptions, and weak oversight of controlled substances ^[5].

On Thursday, Navy Times published an account from sailors assigned to the office ^[3]. They told the outlet that civilian supervisors pressed them to stay past their expected three-year tours while working 70- to 80-hour weeks, and that managers threatened to withhold pay when they objected to decisions ^[3]. One sailor said the duties even included clipping lawmakers' toenails ^[3]. Several sailors have since been reassigned, Navy Times reported, adding that the Navy and the office did not respond to repeated requests for comment ^[3].

According to Navy Times, the inspector general's investigation reaches beyond the physician's office to the Defense Health Agency and the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ^[3]. Punchbowl's reporting, as summarized by Mediaite, said a civilian deputy who worked under Monahan was also reportedly fired and that an inspector general report was expected soon ^[4].

An office paid for by taxpayers, staffed by sailors

The Office of the Attending Physician dates to 1928, when the House asked the secretary of the Navy to assign a medical officer to the chamber, according to the Congressional Research Service ^[6]. The Senate extended the service to both chambers in 1930, and the first physician, George Calver, held the post until 1966 ^[6]. The job has generally carried the rank of rear admiral, and the doctors and medical assistants in the office have continued to come from the Navy ^[6].

The money flows through the "Joint Items" section of the annual legislative branch spending bill, which covers medical supplies, equipment and contingent expenses, allowances for the physician and his assistants, and repayment to the Navy for staff and equipment, a practice that began in 1975, CRS noted ^[6]. The fiscal 2020 law, for example, funded allowances for the attending physician, a senior medical officer, three medical officers and up to 13 additional assistants ^[6]. The Associated Press described the office as the one that handles emergency care for lawmakers, justices and congressional staff, and noted Monahan had held the top job for nearly 18 years ^[2].

On Capitol Hill, the reaction crossed party lines but stayed brief. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California confirmed the departure but offered few other details, the AP reported ^[2]. As of Thursday, neither the Navy nor congressional leaders had publicly named who is running the office in the meantime ^[1][2].

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A quiet Navy, and what comes next

The AP placed the exit inside a wider pattern: the Navy has quietly removed several officials in recent months, breaking with its longstanding practice of announcing major removals ^[2]. Democratic Reps. Joe Courtney and Adam Smith wrote to Navy leaders after the service failed to tell the House Armed Services Committee that it had fired the leadership team of the attack submarine USS South Dakota, the AP reported ^[2]. The news agency said the removals could make for a contentious confirmation hearing next week for acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, whom President Trump nominated in September to take the job permanently ^[2].

The next markers are clear: the inspector general's findings, the choice of a new attending physician, and the questions senators put to Cao.

Here is my view. This story should unite Republicans and Democrats, because it is about stewardship, not party. The attending physician's office is funded by taxpayers, staffed by young sailors who swore an oath, and trusted with the health of the people who write our laws and the justices who interpret them. Allegations are not convictions, and Monahan deserves a fair chance to answer them. But if powerful patients received medications without prescriptions, the public has a right to know. If sailors were overworked and pressured, they deserve to be heard and protected. Quiet exits do not build trust. When the inspector general finishes, Congress should release the report in full and choose the next attending physician in daylight.