Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is squaring off with the House Armed Services Committee Thursday about why it took so long to notify the president, Congress, and the public about his hospitalization and stay in the intensive care unit after complications from prostate cancer surgery.
Although a review released this week by the Pentagon found there had been no deliberate attempt by Austin or his aides to keep the hospitalization secret, it acknowledged that policies for transferring the defense secretary’s responsibilities during an emergency must be improved.
The three-page unclassified summary of the review released to the public did not expand on what was already known about the timeline of Austin’s hospitalization.
Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the review in a statement on X calling it in so many words a whitewash for not holding anyone accountable and said Thursday’s hearing will demand more answers.
The Defense Department inspector general is also conducting its own independent review of “the roles, processes, and actions” related to Austin’s hospitalization,
Thursday’s hearing will be the first time Austin has testified on the Hill since last fall, so he’s likely to face questions about the Middle East and Ukraine, in addition to his health.
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