The top Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), are calling on the Pentagon to be transparent about the “secret” hospitalization of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. asked to provide it.
“We are pleased to hear that Secretary Austin's condition has improved and we wish him a speedy recovery. However, the fact remains that the Department of Defense deliberately withheld the Secretary's condition from the public for several days. “We are learning more every day about the department's shocking violations of law,” Wicker said in a statement.
“If one of this country's two national command authorities is unable to accomplish its mission, military families, members of Congress, and the American people have a right to know the full extent of the situation,” he said.
Mr Wicker added: “Members need to be given a full explanation of the facts immediately.”
“I am concerned about his health and shocked that the Pentagon and White House have not been more candid about his condition and why he remains hospitalized. Mr. President. , the National Security Adviser, and even the Deputy Secretary of Defense apparently did not know.''Secretary Austin will be hospitalized for at least three days,'' Collins said in a statement Monday. “Given the very serious military decisions the United States is grappling with, including attacks on our military by Iranian-backed proxies, wars in the Middle East, and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, It is inexplicable that the situation continues to persist.'' It is shrouded in secrecy. ”
She added: “While I wish him a speedy recovery, I also believe he must be open about the nature of his illness and his ability to work.”
Pentagon deputy commander announces Austin hospitalized two days after taking over part of mission
According to the Pentagon, Mr. Austin was hospitalized last Monday due to complications from surgery.
“On the evening of January 1st, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications following a recent accident. elective medical procedures” said Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
of News about Austin It was shared with the media on Friday.
“Worryingly, we now have more questions than answers,” Wicker said.
Wicker asked questions about the involvement of the Secretary of Defense's staff, the timing of the president's notification, and why information was withheld from the National Security Council. Wicker also asked the Pentagon about the extent of the secretary's incapacity due to surgery.
“The very fact that we don't have any of this information is an indictment of an administration that has consistently shown contempt for Congress's authority on national defense matters,” he said.
Ryder said the hospitalization was not disclosed to the press, citing “medical and personal privacy concerns.”
Defense Secretary Austin hospitalized due to surgical complications
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives for a meeting with senators regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 18, 2023. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Other congressional Republicans also asked for additional information about Austin's hospitalization.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said in a statement Saturday that Austin “did not immediately notify President Biden or the National Security Council that the Pentagon was hospitalized and unable to perform his duties.” We must promptly address these alarming reports.” mission. ”
“When the most important decisions have to be made within minutes, the Secretary of Defense is a critical link in the chain of command between the president and the uniformed military, including the nuclear chain of command,” he said.
Ranking members of the House Armed Services Committee issued a statement Sunday night asking for “further details” about Austin's condition and why notification was delayed.
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“While we wish Secretary Austin a speedy recovery, we are concerned about how the disclosure of Secretary Austin's condition was handled,” said Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) and ranking member Adam Smith. said Congressman (D-Washington). .
Other reports said senior White House and Pentagon officials were also unaware of Austin's hospitalization.
FOX News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
