On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that Secretary Lloyd Austin will enter Walter Reed Medical Center again for follow-up treatment for a bladder issue, and that his deputy will temporarily assume his duties. The Pentagon clarified that the procedure Austin is undergoing is "simple and non-surgical," but Austin determined that he would be unable to fulfill his responsibilities, prompting him to delegate them to his deputy.
Austin, 70, underwent a full anesthesia surgery at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on December 22 for prostate cancer treatment. He returned to the hospital on January 1 due to complications that included a urinary tract infection.
The failure to inform President Joe Biden about Austin's hospitalization drew criticism from lawmakers, and the White House was surprised by the situation, as news of his hospitalization was not revealed until four days later, with the Pentagon not specifying the reason for his hospitalization until January 9. At that time, Biden acknowledged that his Secretary of Defense made an error by keeping his hospitalization a secret but confirmed that he would remain in his position.
