WASHINGTON – Rep. Chris Deluzio on Wednesday became the first Democrat to publicly call for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to resign after Biden's Cabinet secreted a surgery to treat prostate cancer from the White House and his subordinates. Became a member of parliament.
“We have lost confidence in Secretary Lloyd Austin's leadership of the Department of Defense due to the lack of transparency regarding his recent medical treatment and its impact on continuity of command,” Delzio said. (Democrat, Pennsylvania) said. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and Iraq War Veterans said in a statement.
Mr. Austin, who has held the position throughout the Biden administration, has not informed the public that he would be unable to perform his duties since he was hospitalized on January 1 with a urinary tract infection after undergoing a prostatectomy on December 22. Ta.
Austin, 70, was rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center late on New Year's Day complaining of “severe pain in his abdomen, hips and legs,” his doctor said Tuesday.
According to the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense ultimately handed over his duties during his incapacity to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who remained at Austin's hospital stay until January 4, when Austin was on vacation in Puerto Rico. He said he didn't know.
The White House and the public were not informed of Austin's hospitalization until the evening of January 5th.
But it would be another four days before the secretary announced his diagnosis to the president, the public, and even his colleagues at the Pentagon.
Until then, Austin's only hospitalizations had been complications from “elective surgery.”
“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have a solemn duty in Congress to provide oversight of the Department of Defense,” Delzio added.
“Today's mission requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign. I thank Secretary Austin for his leadership and years of dedicated service to the American people, and I wish him a speedy recovery. .”
Austin remained hospitalized Wednesday, but was in good condition and working from his bed, according to Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. General Pat Ryder.
“He remains in contact with senior staff, has full access to the necessary secure communications capabilities, and continues to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Department of Defense around the world,” Ryder added.
For example, Gen. Eric Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave Austin “operational updates” as the Pentagon monitors the wars in Ukraine and Israel. Ryder said. He added that it is not yet clear when Austin will be released from Walter Reed.
The Biden administration has said it has no plans to fire Austin, but Deluzio and other Republican lawmakers have called for his resignation over his baffling decision not to call in sick patients.
The incident also shook the confidence of some defense officials, who expressed shock that Austin did not notify his colleagues, especially given his decades of military service.
Austin, who spent more than 40 years in the Army, would be familiar with alerting the chain of command in an emergency.
HASC launched a parliamentary inquiry into the ordeal on Tuesday, asking nine questions seeking more information about Austin's interactions with officials since January 1. This includes a record of “all other periods'' during which another person assumed duties that occurred concurrently with the medical procedure or other procedure.'' ”
“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,” said Chairman Mike Rogers ( Republican, Alabama) said in a letter of inquiry to Austin.
“Everything from ongoing counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding of the Secretary's decision-making capabilities.”
“The department is a strong institution, designed to function under enemy attack, but it was not designed for a secretary to hide his incompetence,” Rogers added.
Other Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, called for Austin's removal from office shortly after the revelations came to light.
The top Republican presidential candidate said the Pentagon chief “should be immediately removed from office for professional misconduct and dereliction of duty.”
