A report from CNN stated that the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense was unaware that Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized when she took over some of his duties on January 2. The report, published on Sunday, cited two unnamed defense officials who indicated that Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks was not informed until two days after Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the first day of the new year.
Reuters reported on Saturday that U.S. President Joe Biden learned about the secretary's hospitalization on Thursday evening, according to an anonymous U.S. official. The Department of Defense stated on Sunday that Austin spoke with Biden on Saturday.
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed due to what the Pentagon described as "complications following a recent elective medical procedure," which the department kept secret for five days.
Congressional Notification Lapse
Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the department for its failure to promptly inform Congress about such matters as required by law. Austin is directly next in line after Biden at the top of the U.S. military's chain of command, and his duties require him to be available at any moment to address any forms of national security crises.
In a joint statement, Republican House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Democrat Adam Smith expressed concern about how the disclosure of the secretary's condition was handled. The statement added, "There are still several unanswered questions, including details about the surgery and complications, Austin's current health status, how and when his responsibilities were delegated, and the reasons for the delay in informing Biden and Congress. Transparency is extremely important. Austin must provide these additional details about his health and the decision-making process that took place last week as soon as possible."
Republicans on the Armed Services Committees in both the House and Senate severely criticized Austin and the Pentagon over the incident, according to a report by Axios. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense announced that Austin remains in the hospital and "is recovering well," noting that he resumed his full duties on Friday.
On Saturday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated in a release that he takes "full responsibility" for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization for an unidentified medical condition. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned at a press conference on Sunday that he "was not aware of (Austin's) health issue," adding that he had spoken to him earlier in the week.
It remains unclear to what extent Austin's duties were delegated to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, or whether Austin participated in any important decisions during his absence. The department has yet to clarify the reason for Austin's treatment and whether he lost consciousness during the past week, nor has it provided details regarding a potential discharge date from the hospital.
