Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agreed Tuesday to testify on Capitol Hill later this month about his bizarre decision to hide his prostate cancer diagnosis and recent hospitalization from White House and Pentagon officials, including President Biden. .
Austin, 70, is reportedly scheduled to be shot by members of the House Armed Services Committee on February 29th. multiple report.
In January, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) launched a formal congressional investigation into the defense secretary’s hospitalization.
Mr. Rogers requested a “detailed explanation” of Mr. Austin’s hospitalization and how his absence was communicated to Pentagon and Biden administration officials.
In a letter to Austin, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, the defense secretary and others, the Alabama Republican lawmaker wrote that Walter Reed National Guard after complications related to a December surgery to treat prostate cancer. He called Austin’s efforts to cover up his Jan. 1 admission to the medical center “outrageous.” Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen;
“Given the wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House or even your own Vice President did not understand the nature of your condition is clearly unacceptable,” Rogers wrote to Austin. reprimanded.
In a follow-up letter requesting Austin’s testimony, Rogers said he had spoken with the defense secretary since the scandal broke and that Austin “committed full transparency regarding questions” regarding his hospitalization.
After undergoing a prostatectomy on Dec. 22, Austin returned to the Pentagon on Jan. 29, just four weeks after being taken by ambulance from his home in Virginia due to severe pain from a urinary tract infection. .
Last week, the Defense Secretary apologized for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, telling reporters that despite his prominent position as a cabinet minister, his “first instinct” was to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret. .
The Pentagon chief told reporters on February 1, “I was not able to properly handle this matter.” “I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people. I apologize to my teammates and the American people.”
Several Republicans and at least one Democrat in Congress have called for Austin to resign over the incident.
“At every moment, either myself or my deputy was solely responsible,” Austin told reporters, adding that there was a “gap in authority” and a risk of “taking command” in his absence. claimed that he did not.
