{"id":47661,"date":"2024-01-10T15:49:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T15:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/10\/lawmakers-launch-investigation-into-austins-health-secrecy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:05:54","slug":"lawmakers-launch-investigation-into-austins-health-secrecy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2024\/01\/10\/lawmakers-launch-investigation-into-austins-health-secrecy\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers launch investigation into Austin\u2019s health secrecy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/01\/25\/armed-services-committee-adds-11-members-quality-of-life-panel\/\" target=\"_blank\">The House Armed Services Committee<\/a> has launched an investigation into how senior Pentagon leaders mishandled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/05\/defense-secretary-hospitalized-for-surgery-complications\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin\u2019s emergency hospitalization<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/09\/secdef-austin-developed-infection-after-prostate-cancer-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\">non-disclosure of a cancer diagnosis<\/a> amid continued concerns from lawmakers about the military\u2019s chain of command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The move is likely just the first in a series of formal inquiries over the coming weeks into Austin\u2019s health and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/08\/austin-chief-of-staff-failed-to-tell-anyone-about-his-hospitalization\/\" target=\"_blank\">lack of communication<\/a> with the White House. Austin is expected to testify before multiple committees on the annual defense budget in the coming weeks, and the issue could dominate those appearances as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin, 70, has been receiving hospital care since Jan. 1, when he was rushed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/06\/why-was-defense-secretary-austins-hospital-stay-kept-secret-for-days\/\" target=\"_blank\">Walter Reed National Military Medical Center<\/a> after developing a urinary tract infection from complications related to prostate cancer surgery on Dec. 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other senior military leaders were not informed of his condition until several days later. White House officials, including President Joe Biden, were not made aware the defense secretary was hospitalized until Jan. 5, and did not learn about his cancer diagnosis until Jan. 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/3633506\/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-medical-care\/\" target=\"_blank\">In a statement,<\/a> Austin acknowledged that \u201cI could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.\u201d In a press briefing on Tuesday, White House officials said the handling of the matter was \u201cnot optimal,\u201d but said Biden has no plans for a leadership change at the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/09\/secdef-austin-developed-infection-after-prostate-cancer-treatment\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23208227306422.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Austin developed infection after prostate cancer treatment<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Austin is expected to make a full recovery.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a letter to Austin on Tuesday,<a href=\"https:\/\/armedservices.house.gov\/sites\/republicans.armedservices.house.gov\/files\/Letter%20to%20Sec%20Austin%20re%20Hospitalization%20final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> committee House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers<\/a>, R-Ala., said panel members have \u201cgrave concerns\u201d over his and other officials\u2019 decision to not immediately inform Congress or the White House when the defense secretary was hospitalized on Jan. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable,\u201d Rogers wrote. \u201cEverything from on-going counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding of the secretary\u2019s decision-making capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Department is a robust institution, and it is designed to function under attack by our enemies, but it is not designed for a secretary who conceals being incapacitated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The committee inquiry will focus initially on Austin, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, and Austin\u2019s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen. Pentagon officials said Magsamen learned of Austin\u2019s hospitalization just hours after it occurred but took several days to share the news because of her own illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, called for Austin\u2019s resignation on Wednesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate Armed Services Committee has not taken the same formal steps as its House counterpart, but members have requested more information on the incident from Austin and Defense Department leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis lack of disclosure must never happen again,\u201d Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement on Monday. \u201cI am tracking the situation closely and the Department of Defense is well aware of my interest in any and all relevant information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Committee ranking member Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has requested a briefing on the confusion surrounding Austin\u2019s medical condition, asserting in a statement Tuesday that \u201can internal review ordered by the same chief of staff who played a part in this crisis is woefully inadequate.\u201d On Wednesday, Senate Republicans also requested more information from the Pentagon regarding the timeline surrounding Austin\u2019s hospitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this week, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., announced plans to file articles of impeachment against Austin for failing to publicly disclose his health problems. House Republican leaders have not announced any plans to move ahead with that or similar articles of impeachment filed by other Republican members against Austin last August, those concerning his handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., called for the resignation of Austin and \u201canyone who lied for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Security Council spokesman John Kirby earlier this week announced the White House and Pentagon would conduct reviews to ensure that similar communication issues do not happen again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The House Armed Services Committee will look into how senior leaders mishandled the defense secretary&#8217;s hospitalization earlier this month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":106105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[8,160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424],"class_list":["post-47661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"6FYP77DEXZHNTH4KO37JRT5CPY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2024\/01\/10\/lawmakers-launch-investigation-into-austins-health-secrecy\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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