Members of Congress concerned about Secretary Austin’s hospitalization
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Some members of Congress are now pushing for answers after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was secretively hospitalized earlier this month.
Secretary Austin went to Walter Reed Medical Center Jan. 1 after complications from a December elective surgery, which was related to a recent prostate cancer diagnosis.
The Pentagon failed to immediately notify the president, lawmakers, staff and the public about the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The information was shared privately three days later and publicly the day after that.
The highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a press conference of concerned Senators Thursday about what they called “a chain of command crisis.”
“This doesn’t need to happen again,” Sen. Wicker said. “We’re thankful that that nothing so serious occurred during this incapacity.”
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) said the lack of communication is dangerous.
“This breakdown in command, in this breakdown in communication... It threatened our country’s safety,” Sen. Fischer said.
The senators also voiced their concerns about the legality and precedent of Secretary Austin’s actions.
“This is a dangerous world right now,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said. “So for you, you have a secretary of defense that decides that he’s not going to tell the president or the National Security Council or Congress what they’re doing there. There has to be accountability.”
The group of Republican Senators asked a series of questions in a letter to Secretary Austin. They said they want a response by January 19th with a full timeline of what happened leading up to when he became hospitalized.
Some members of the House have even called for Austin’s resignation, including Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Democratic Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA). Rep. Deluzio, who is the first democrat to call for his resignation.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stopped short a call for resignation during a Thursday news conference.
“From my standpoint, we need far more information before I can make any detailed comment on the appropriate way forward,” Leader Jeffries said. “But I do not believe that Secretary Austin should resign.”
The Pentagon’s Inspector General will investigate the handling of Secretary Austin’s hospital stay, according to a memo released Thursday.
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