Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agreed Tuesday to testify on Capitol Hill later this month about his curious decision to conceal his prostate cancer diagnosis and recent hospitalization from White House and Pentagon officials, including the president. Biden.
Austin, 70, is expected to be questioned by lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 29, according to multiple reports.
In January, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) launched a formal congressional investigation into the defense chief’s hospitalization.
Rogers demanded a “detailed account” of Austin’s hospital stay and how he communicated his absence to the Pentagon and Biden administration officials.
The Alabama Republican called Austin’s effort to conceal his Jan. 1 admission to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after complications related to a December surgery to treat prostate cancer “scandalous,” in letters to Austin, to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and the Secretary of Defense. Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen.
Austin will testify before the House Armed Services Committee on February 29. Getty Images
“With the wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own representative did not understand the nature of your condition is clearly unacceptable,” Rogers scolded Austin in his letter.
Rogers indicated in a follow-up letter demanding testimony from Austin that he has spoken with the defense secretary since the scandal broke and that Austin has “pledged full transparency on the issues” related to his hospitalization.
Austin returned to the Pentagon on January 29, exactly four weeks after he was taken by ambulance from his Virginia home in severe pain from a urinary tract infection following his prostatectomy on December 22.
Last week, the Defense Secretary apologized for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, telling reporters that it was his “first instinct” to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret despite his prominent Cabinet position.
Republican lawmakers are expected to question Austin about why he kept his hospitalization a secret even from the president. REUTERS
“I didn’t handle this correctly,” the Pentagon chief told reporters on February 1. “I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public. “I apologize to my teammates and the American people.”
Several Republicans and at least one Democrat in Congress have called for Austin to resign over the incident.
“At all times, either I or the undersecretary were in charge,” Austin told reporters, maintaining that there were “no gaps in authority” or risks to “the command in control” during his absence.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn