Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin underwent a “planned, elective, minimally invasive” non-surgical procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday evening as a follow-up to bladder issues he suffered earlier this year, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The procedure was unrelated to Austin’s cancer diagnosis.
“During that period [Friday]”Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed the duties and functions of Secretary of Defense and served as Acting Secretary of Defense. Secretary Austin subsequently resumed the duties and functions of Secretary of Defense at 8:25 p.m. Eastern Time and returned to the U.S.,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Friday night.
The Pentagon said it had notified the White House and Congress and that Austin would be temporarily unable to perform his duties while the process was underway.
Lloyd Austin grilled about lack of transparency
The Pentagon announced Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would undergo a non-surgical procedure in the evening. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was hospitalized and underwent two surgeries in December and January, but he didn’t tell the White House anything at the time for several days, and it took even longer for the public to find out.
White House establishes guidelines for Cabinet notifications following Austin’s hospitalization
Secretary of Defense Austin will hand over authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Catherine Hicks, who will serve as Acting Secretary of Defense. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
This situation is due to a lack of transparency from the Department of Defense. White House The Cabinet Office established new guidelines at the end of January to deal with situations where ministers are unable to carry out their duties and have to delegate powers.
Some Republican lawmakers, including former President Trump, had called on Austin to resign.
In January, President Trump told Truth Social that the Secretary of Defense “should be fired immediately for improper conduct and negligence in the conduct of his duties. He’s been missing for a week and no one has any idea where he is or could be, including his boss, the unscrupulous Joe Biden.”
The White House said Defense Secretary Austin retains President Biden’s “full confidence,” and in February he apologized for a lack of transparency.
President Biden said he still has “full confidence” in Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, despite some Republican lawmakers calling for him to be fired or resign earlier this year. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Let me be clear: we did not handle this properly,” he said at the time, “and I did not handle this properly either. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people. I take responsibility for that. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”
Austin returned to work a few weeks after being hospitalized for cancer treatment, but was admitted back to hospital on February 11 with bladder problems.
The Pentagon added on Friday: “As emphasized in a Feb. 13 Department of Defense news release, the Secretary of State’s bladder issues are not related to his cancer diagnosis and do not impact his favorable cancer prognosis. The White House and Congress have been notified.”
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An update will be provided once the process is completed, the statement said.
