Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee about keeping his hospitalization a secret from President Joe Biden for nearly a week in early January, as the U.S. military was embroiled in a conflict in the Middle East. Admitted.
“The Department of Defense has announced to the House Armed Services Committee that Secretary Austin will testify before the committee on February 29 regarding Secretary Austin’s failure to disclose his hospitalization status,” House Armed Services Committee Spokesperson Justin Tripathi said in a statement Wednesday. I have confirmed this with the association.”
During an unusual press conference on Thursday, Mr. Austin, who described himself as a “private citizen,” was asked whether he would attend the hearing requested by Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), but he did not say yes or no. Ta. He said only that he would “continue to communicate with Chairman Rogers’ office as the situation evolves.”
Both Republicans and Democrats were furious that Mr. Austin remained in intensive care for four days before telling Mr. Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. It was the fifth day that Austin spoke to members of Congress and the American people.
The Pentagon later confirmed that Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and underwent surgery to treat the cancer on Dec. 22, requiring general anesthesia and an overnight stay in the hospital. However, Austin did not report this to the president either.
After completing treatment, he returned home, but faced complications from the surgery and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1 with pain in his abdomen and legs. He remained there until the end of January.
The Pentagon maintained that Austin’s hospitalization never jeopardized the military or the nation, and that Austin had transferred some of his authority to Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time.
The Pentagon also confirmed that Austin informed Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen, and Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat on Jan. 2 about his hospitalization. Ta. rider. An unidentified aide to Austin who called an ambulance was also aware of the hospitalization. The Pentagon said Magsamen had the flu and implied that was the reason for the delay in notifying the White House.
Mr. Austin insists he never told his staff not to tell anyone and says he doesn’t know why no one told the White House. He personally apologized for not telling Biden directly, saying Biden had responded with “courtesy and warmth” and that he had “full confidence in him.”
Attention — Is Biden completely clueless about his Cabinet?Mea Culpa, who concealed Lloyd Austin’s cancer surgery
U.S. Department of Defense, via Storyful
The Pentagon launched a 30-day investigation on January 8, and Austin hinted that he would answer questions about why Magsamen and others did not inform the White House of their hospitalizations.
The White House also said it was reviewing the matter, and the Pentagon inspector general has launched an investigation. Mr. Rogers and members of the House Armed Services Committee have also launched an investigation into the matter.
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