Republican lawmakers lambasted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a hearing for his failure to disclose his prostate cancer surgery and subsequent hospitalization to President Joe Biden.
At the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Austin, backed by Democrats, sought to allay concerns that his absence compromised national security or undermined his influence in the Biden administration.
He stated during the hearing, “At no time during my treatment or recovery were there any gaps in authorities.”
Acknowledging the communication breakdown, he added, “I should have promptly informed the president, my team, Congress, and the American people about my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Again: We did not handle this right. And I did not handle it right.”
Republicans raised questions about how Biden remained unaware of Austin’s hospitalization for days.
Representative Mike Rogers, the committee’s chairman, expressed concern, saying, “I find it very concerning that the secretary could be hospitalized for three days without anyone else in the administration even noticing.”
He continued, “That suggests Secretary Austin’s advice is not sought or heeded in the White House, even while military operations were ongoing in the Middle East.”
Instead of disclosing his health situation, Austin chose to keep secret his initial prostate cancer surgery in December and a subsequent January hospitalization for post-surgical complications, during which he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
While Austin apologized for his handling of the matter, the hearing marked the first time legislators could directly question him.
Representative Jim Banks, a Republican, criticized the secret hospitalization as an embarrassment and chided him for not holding anyone accountable. He pointed to Chinese and Russian narratives portraying chaos and mismanagement at the Pentagon.
Banks asserted, “What you’ve done has embarrassed us.”
An internal 30-day Pentagon review released on Monday absolved itself of wrongdoing. It concluded that “nothing examined during this review demonstrated any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate.”
The failure to hold anyone accountable frustrated several lawmakers. Rogers criticized the report for lacking real answers on who knew what, when, and who failed in their basic duties.
“We were led to believe your 30-day internal review would shed light on the matter,” Rogers said.
“But it includes no explanation of why the president and his staff were left in the dark. It makes no recommendations to improve communication with the White House. And, unsurprisingly, it holds no one accountable.”
During a news briefing earlier this month, Austin took responsibility for failing to inform Biden and senior staff about his prostate cancer diagnosis ahead of time, calling the health scare a “gut punch” that had shaken him.
After the secret hospitalizations were revealed, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized Austin. Some prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, called for Austin’s removal from his post.
“Are you surprised the president didn’t call for your resignation? I’m surprised,” Banks said.
Austin responded, “The president has expressed full faith and confidence in me.”
