Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Mike Rogers, has launched an official investigation into the hospitalization of US Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. This was stated on Tuesday, January 9, in a statement released by the official.
According to documentRogers initiated “a formal investigation into the reasons why the Secretary of Defense failed to report hospitalization and inability” to perform his duties.
In a letter addressed to the head of the Pentagon, Rogers demanded information and documents relating to Austin's hospitalization, the orders he gave, the process of transferring authority to the deputy, as well as all correspondence between Pentagon officials and the White House and the administration of President Joe Biden between January 1 and 9.
“Everything from ongoing counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control depends on a clear understanding of the Secretary's decision-making ability. The Pentagon is a trusted agency that must function in the face of attack by our enemies, but it is not designed for a secretary who hides his incapacity,” the congressman’s letter said.
On January 8, it was reported that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was transferred from the intensive care unit, but he continues to remain in the hospital as he is feeling unwell. It is noted that the minister continues to stay in touch with the Pentagon and daily monitors the department’s activities around the world. On Jan. 9, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center announced that Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer last December.
On the same day, the Pentagon announced that Austin had no intention of leaving his post. As US Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder noted, the minister is focused on continuing to work as Secretary of Defense and “serving for the benefit of the country’s defense.”
On January 7, former US Vice President Mike Pence called Austin's secret hospitalization unacceptable as citizens of the United States have the right to know what is happening. He also reproached the Pentagon chief for negligence, pointing out that even the country's President Joe Biden did not know about the hospitalization of the head of the military department.
On January 5, American journalist and Newsmax TV channel host Todd Starnes commented on Austin’s hospitalization, wondering why this information was disclosed only a few days later. The Politico newspaper, in turn, reported that information about the hospitalization of the head of the Pentagon “came as a shock to all White House employees,” who were not aware of Austin’s complications after the medical procedure.
On January 1, US Secretary of Defense Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications following a routine medical procedure. At the same time, the fact that he was in the hospital for five days was hidden from the public.
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