Sexual assault has been devastating to the military community, but it’s certainly been a boon to the employment line. In news that’s both shocking and depressing, the Pentagon admits to hiring more than 1,000 full-time “certified response coordinators and victim advocates” to handle the crisis, which has only gotten worse as time passes. Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel brought up the army of new counselors at a recent news conference when he addressed the 8% jump in sexual assaults.

Reporters with The Weekly Standard were so stunned that they emailed the Defense Department to confirm “if Hagel’s statement meant that these 1,000 response coordinators literally work full time on sexual assault matters as opposed to combining this work with other duties. Laura Seal, a DOD spokesperson replied. ‘The answer to your question is: Yes. In addition, more than 22,000 Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Response Victim Advocates have been certified…”

Unfortunately, the Pentagon’s new team won’t lack for work, especially not after the DOD admitted that 3,850 military men had been raped last year – all real-life victims of the President’s policy of sexual liberalism. With male-on-male attacks climbing and women reporting more unwanted sexual attention than ever, the DOD is trying to deal with the distraction however it can.

Of course, the tragic irony of all of this is that these coordinators are necessary in large part because of a problem the President created by using the military to advance his radical social agenda. For the sake of those who serve and for the sake of our nation’s security, we’ll work to ensure that the new Congress treats the military like a fighting force and not a sexual playground.

Gender Reassignment = Spender Reassessment

Living in New York can turn you into a different person – literally. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Empire State will be the ninth state to order insurance companies to cover sex change surgeries. In an announcement this week, Cuomo insists that “respecting the rights and dignity of all New Yorkers is paramount. By taking this action, we are ensuring that principle rightfully extends to transgender people across our state.”

Ironically, the governor could only make the change by labeling gender confusion a mental illness – a suggestion the Left vehemently denies. “In a letter sent this week to insurers, the state Department of Financial Services said they 'may not deny medically necessary treatment otherwise covered by a health insurance policy solely on the basis that the treatment is for gender dysphoria.’”

Although each case is different, the price tag of this kind of surgery is estimated at anywhere from $58,000 to $70,000 – a steep price for any insurer to pay. “The concern we have is that by putting a spotlight on sex changes we’re setting a precedent,” said a representative for the state’s Health Plan Association. Like most companies, they’re upset about not being briefed or consulted by the Governor’s office before the new rules were announced. It could be a “slippery slope for other treatments and services people argue are mental health-related,” she went on.

For the transgender movement, it’s been a stunning turnaround these past few years, as more politicians turn themselves inside out to change bathroom rules, military policy, sports eligibility, and school curriculum to normalize this wave of gender anarchy.

Believe it or not, U.S. taxpayers are already bearing the brunt of this extremism through Medicare, which changed its rules this past June to recognize the surgery as a “medically necessary” and “effective” treatment for people who can’t come to grips with their own biological gender. Despite the sky-high costs and an even higher controversy quotient, the Obama administration believes it’s the taxpayers’ responsibility to cover an elective body enhancement that may only elevate the mental and physical risks for people suffering from gender confusion. If leaders truly care about helping these suffering people, it should consider making counseling more accessible – and work to free Americans, not further enslave them, from this destructive lifestyle.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.