Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday agreed to testify on Capitol Hill later this month about his curious decision to shield his prostate cancer diagnosis and recent hospitalization from White House and Pentagon officials, including President Biden.
Austin, 70, is expected to be grilled by lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee on February 29, according to multiple reports.
In January, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) launched a formal congressional investigation into the hospitalization of the Defense chief.
Rogers demanded a “detailed account” of Austin’s stay at the hospital and how he communicated his absence to Pentagon and Biden administration officials.
The Alabama Republican called Austin’s efforts to conceal his Jan. 1 admission to Walter Reed National Army Medical Center after complications related to December surgery to treat prostate cancer “outrageous,” in a letter to Austin, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and the defense secretary. Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen.
Austin will testify before the House Armed Services Committee on February 29. Getty Images
“With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy do not understand the nature of your situation is clearly unacceptable,” Rogers scolded Austin in his letter.
Rogers stated in a follow-up letter demanding Austin’s testimony that he had spoken with the secretary of defense since the scandal broke and that Austin had “promised full transparency on questions” related to his hospitalization.
Austin returned to the Pentagon on January 29, exactly four weeks after he was taken by ambulance from his home in Virginia in severe pain from a urinary tract infection following his December 22 prostatectomy.
Last week, the defense secretary apologized for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization and told reporters it was his “first instinct” to withhold his cancer diagnosis despite his high-profile cabinet position.
Republican lawmakers are expected to grill Austin about why he kept his hospitalization a secret from the president. Reuters
“I don’t handle this right,” 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 to the American people.”
Several Republicans and at least one Democrat in Congress have called for Austin’s resignation over the incident.
“At all times, either I or the deputy secretary is fully responsible,” Austin told reporters, maintaining there was “no gap in authority” or risk of “reigning in control” in his absence.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
