Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will appear before Congress for the first time since his secret hospital visit in January, and will face harsh criticism from lawmakers.
Austin will appear before the Republican-controlled House Armed Services Committee. Several members of the committee criticized the secretary both for not informing Congress of the multi-day hospital visit, as well as for keeping President Biden in the dark.
Lawmakers fear this covert move could have caused a breakdown in the chain of command from the White House to the Pentagon. Although Mr. Austin claims to have delegated authority to his secretary during his hospitalization, concerns remain, given that he did not inform any of his superiors about this transfer.
Austin started visiting the hospital more often after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December. He visited the hospital in question on January 1, and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was immediately transferred to intensive care.
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon on Monday, January 29, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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The Pentagon faced a barrage of criticism Monday following the release of the statement. internal review Regarding the handling of Austin’s hospitalization.
The review was conducted by austin’s men, someone is largely absolved of wrongdoing because of the secrecy surrounding the case. The review flatly stated that there were “no signs of malicious intent or attempts at obfuscation.”
The Pentagon came under a barrage of criticism Monday following the release of an internal review of its handling of Austin’s hospitalization. (AP Photo/Charles Dalapak, File)
Department of Defense Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters that Defense Secretary Austin’s staff decided to transfer authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on January 2 because Austin is in the ICU. He said his secretary never lost consciousness, but it remains unclear why his secretary made such a call.
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Meanwhile, Hicks was vacationing in Puerto Rico and only learned of Austin’s hospitalization three days later, after he was transferred to the ICU.
Mr. Austin’s remarks to Congress are likely to reflect a public apology he made in early February. (AP Photo/Maya Areruzzo)
Mr. Austin’s remarks before the House committee are likely to mirror the public apology he issued regarding the incident in early February. He said he also personally apologized to Biden.
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“Let me be clear: We didn’t do this right, and I didn’t do this right,” Austin said at the time. “I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people. I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and the American people.”
