First appearance on Fox: A group of House Republicans has asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directly for more information on how White House and Pentagon officials reached their decisions, but has remained silent for several days about Austin's recent hospitalization. It is reported that.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., led a group of 20 Republican senators in writing a letter to Austin asking who was involved in the decision to postpone the release and asking, “If one combatant commander is unable to act, “How would Austin react?” he asked. “He had to take off from official duties for three or four days, and you were never informed about who knew about his situation and other details from the beginning.”
“First and foremost, we wish you a speedy recovery and are sorry to hear of your recent cancer diagnosis. We are happy to hear that he has recovered and has been moved out of the ICU.” Digital.
Pentagon officials stunned by Secretary of Defense who kept cancer diagnosis a secret from Biden
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Ian Waldie/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“However, we are extremely concerned about the Department of Defense's (DOD) lack of transparency regarding your recent hospitalization, which included a four-day stay in the intensive care unit.”
“According to reports, Congressional leadership, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the President, the National Security Advisor, and other members of the National Security Council were not informed of your hospitalization until three days after your admission. “Given your important role in keeping us safe, it is deeply disturbing that, as Secretary of Defense, you kept your prolonged hospitalization a secret from the President and other senior national security officials.”
Media, Democrats, Biden officials accuse Defense Department of covering up Austin's intensive care stay
This comes amid mounting pressure on the Pentagon over Austin's hospitalization and cancer diagnosis and how they were made public. The Pentagon's inspector general said Thursday it was investigating the matter.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is leading a letter demanding answers regarding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent hospitalization. (Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Pentagon announced on January 5 that Austin had been hospitalized since January 1 due to complications from elective surgery. However, a Politico report has since revealed that not only was the media kept in the dark, but the highest levels of the White House and the Pentagon did not know that Austin was hospitalized until January 4th.
The nondisclosure raised bipartisan concerns, with top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees calling for more transparency about the incident.
Austin's doctors announced Tuesday that he was being treated for prostate cancer. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on the same day, “Until this morning, no one at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer.''
Meanwhile, Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) sent a letter to Austin on Wednesday, similarly urging Congress to provide further answers.
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“It is ridiculous that you and others in the ministry would allow this to happen in the midst of conflict around the world. Such turmoil has shaken little confidence in previous commitments to “transparency,'' the letter said.
