House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said he doesn't think Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin should resign following the transparency scandal behind his recent hospitalization.
Austin visited the hospital on December 22nd and underwent surgery for prostate cancer, which was kept secret from the White House. On January 1, he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications, but this visit was also kept secret for several days.
The Pentagon and Biden administration have faced extreme scrutiny in recent days after it was revealed that Austin had been hospitalized for four days. It was later revealed that President Biden and senior defense officials did not know about the secretary's condition for three days.
“From my standpoint, I need more information before I can make appropriately detailed comments on how to proceed. But I don't think Secretary Austin should resign,” Jeffries said Thursday. He said this at a press conference.
Jeffries said her thoughts and prayers are with Austin, who “served his country for decades.” He said he expected the secretary to make a “full and speedy recovery.”
New York members of Congress “look forward to hearing from the Biden administration regarding any protocols that may be put in place to more quickly flow information within the administration and between the administration and Congress.” Stated. “Plans are in place from a chain of command perspective if a minister is temporarily unable to fulfill their role.”
Democratic Rep. Chris Delzio (D-Pennsylvania) called for Austin to resign, saying he had “lost trust” in the secretary. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, launched an investigation into Mr. Austin's hospitalization and expressed concern that Mr. Austin did not notify officials of his absence. Former President Trump said he believed Austin “should be immediately terminated for professional misconduct.”
Several leading Republican senators have refrained from calling for Austin to resign, but criticism has grown in the days since the news became public.
Despite the Pentagon's reassurances that the Deputy Secretary of Defense stands ready to act if necessary, the Pentagon and Austin at a time when the U.S. military faces growing threats and conducts attacks in the Middle East. has been criticized for its lack of transparency. It also played a key role in two wars in Israel and Ukraine.
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