The US Secretary of Defense hospitalized
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement, Saturday, that he bears full responsibility for the secrecy surrounding his stay in the hospital for a week due to a medical condition that hasn’t yet been determined.
Austin, 70, was admitted on New Year’s Day to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to what the Pentagon said were complications after a recent elective medical procedure, which the department kept secret for five days.
Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused the department of failing to immediately notify Congress of such an order in accordance with the law.
But it’s unclear how widespread the information is even within President Joe Biden’s administration.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Biden was only informed on Thursday evening.
The official said Biden still maintains his confidence in Austin.
A second official said that Biden and Austin spoke together yesterday evening, Saturday.
Austin is immediately next to Biden at the top of the US Army’s chain of command, and his duties require that he be available at a moment’s notice to deal with any form of national security crisis.
It remains unclear to what extent his duties were delegated to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, or whether Austin was involved in any important decisions during his absence.
The Pentagon hasn’t yet revealed details regarding Austin’s health problem, and whether he lost consciousness during the past week, nor has it provided details about the possible date of his discharge from the hospital.
“I realize I could have done a better job ensuring people were properly informed, and I am committed to doing better,” Austin said in a written statement.
“But it’s important to say that this was my own medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure,” he added.
Wicker said this incident has eroded public confidence in the Biden administration, citing previous failures to quickly disclose information about national security incidents, including the appearance of a Chinese spy balloon over the United States last year.
A spokesman said on Saturday that Austin resumed his full duties on Friday evening but remained in the hospital.
