Staff Reports
House Republicans are grilling Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his secret hospitalization and subsequent delayed notification to the White House and Congress, suggesting that he may be an “irrelevant” member of the Cabinet. The secretary, recovering from prostate cancer and complications from treatment, appeared in front of the House Armed Services Committee to address the concerns raised by lawmakers.
Concerns were raised about the lack of awareness within the administration regarding Austin’s hospitalization, with Chairman Mike Rogers expressing worry that Austin’s advice may not be valued in the White House. This raised questions about the handling of national security matters during his absence, especially as military operations were ongoing in the Middle East. It was highlighted that the delayed notification implied a lack of seasoned defense skills in decision-making, and this was deemed very disturbing.
Rep. Jim Banks: "Do you usually go days without talking to the commander-in-chief?"
Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin: "I mean, that can happen…"@RepJimBanks: "Either the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant — which one is it?"
Austin: "The president is not aloof!" pic.twitter.com/3rOpXFJN3C
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 29, 2024
The timeline of events revealed that Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 and transferred his authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Jan. 2, with the White House only being notified on Jan. 4, and Congress and the public on Jan. 5. Lawmakers, particularly Rep. Jim Banks, questioned whether the president was unaware of his secretary of defense’s absence for three days or if Austin was simply irrelevant.
Austin’s response that neither the president was aloof nor he was irrelevant faced skepticism, leading to further scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the delayed notification. A Department of Defense review found no ill intent or attempt to obfuscate on Austin’s part, and Pentagon officials who were aware of the hospitalization were not faulted for the delay in notification.
Efforts have been made to implement policy changes to ensure timely notification to the White House and Congress in similar situations. The Pentagon has confirmed that these new notification requirements were effective during a subsequent hospitalization of Austin in mid-February, where the White House, Congress, and the public were promptly informed.
As the inspector general investigates the secrecy surrounding Austin’s hospitalization, questions remain about the implications of his absence on critical operational decisions, such as the U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on Jan. 4, which Austin had previously approved. With the ongoing challenges posed by Iranian-supported militias in Iraq and Syria, concerns persist about the handling of military operations during key leadership transitions.
The partisan nature of the House Republicans’ questioning reflects broader concerns within the conservative perspective about the effectiveness of the current administration in handling national security matters. The criticisms directed at Austin raise doubts about his influence within the White House and highlight broader tensions between the executive and legislative branches regarding transparency and decision-making processes in matters of national security.
