House GOP Launches Formal Inquiry Into Lloyd Austin’s Hospitalization

Topline The GOP led House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday launched a formal inquiry into Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as Austin faces backlash in right wing circles after the Pentagon failed to inform members of the Biden administration about the secretary’s hospitalization on New Year’s Day.

A GOP led House committee launched a formal inquiry into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as he faces ... [+] criticism for not immediately informing the White House about his recent hospitalization. Key Facts Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R Ala.) announced the inquiry in a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying “[e]verything from ongoing counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding” of Austin’s “decision making capacity,” arguing the Pentagon “is not designed for a Secretary who conceals being incapacitated.”\\ Austin was hospitalized on New Year’s Day for a surgery, though the White House and Pentagon went three days without knowing he had been admitted, sparking criticism from Republican lawmakers and calls for Austin to be fired, including from former President Donald Trump, who accused Austin of “improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty.” Rogers also wrote letters to Austin, a retired four star general, and Defense Department Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, with Rogers asking the deputy secretary when she learned about Austin’s hospitalization, and whether she made operational decisions while serving as acting secretary.

In a letter to Austin, Rogers said he has “grave concerns about the handling” of Austin’s absence, saying it is “unacceptable” the Pentagon, White House and Congress were not “accurately informed” of his “position or capacity.” Key Background Austin underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer late last month, though he suffered complications from that procedure that kept him in the hospital for several days, according to a Tuesday press release from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Austin was admitted to the Washington area hospital on Jan. 1, where evaluations revealed “abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines.” He was put in intensive care the next day, where he underwent a procedure to drain stomach fluids. Hospital officials said Tuesday his health has since progressed and they expect him to make a full recovery.

Crucial Quote In a letter to Hicks, Rogers argued it is “vitally important for the President, high level Administration officials, Department leadership, and Congress to be fully and properly informed of a department head’s ability to perform his appointed job and responsibility of leading the nation’s capacity to defend itself,” adding: “It is mindboggling that the Commander in Chief, was not aware of the location or operational competence of the Secretary of Defense.” Further Reading Surgery Causing Lloyd Austin’s Absence Was For Prostate Cancer Treatment, Doctors Say (Forbes) Lloyd Austin’s Hospitalization: Outrage Grows Among Trump And Conservatives As Pentagon Offers New Details (Forbes) Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin’s Mysterious Hospitalization—Which Biden Didn’t Even Know About—Explained (Forbes).