House Armed Services chairman wants probe into Austin’s hospitalization

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The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants an investigation into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to properly disclose his hospitalization and communicate his absence to the Pentagon, the White House and Congress.

In a letter Tuesday to the 70-year-old defense chief, Rep. Mike Rogers, Alabama Republican, said everything from counterterrorism operations to the command and control of America’s nuclear arsenal relies on a clear grasp of the decision-making capacity of the defense secretary.

“The Department (of Defense) 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,” Mr. Rogers wrote.

In a separate letter to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who temporarily assumed Mr. Austin’s duties while she was on vacation in Puerto Rico despite not knowing he was being treated for prostate cancer, Mr. Rogers said it was “vitally important” that the president, high-level administration officials, senior Pentagon leadership and Congress be informed of the secretary’s ability to lead the military.

“It is mind-boggling that the commander in chief was not aware of the location or operational competence of the secretary of defense,” Mr. Rogers wrote.

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SEE ALSO: Rep. Matt Rosendale begins effort to impeach Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

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He also chastised Mr. Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, who was among a small group of people who knew that the secretary was in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 2 after suffering complications from his Dec. 22 prostate surgery.

“According to press reports, you ‘said nothing to the White House officials, awaiting updates on the secretary’s medical condition,’ and failed to ‘notify the White House until two days later,’ including the national security adviser (to) the president of the United States,” Mr. Rogers wrote.

Despite calls for investigations from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and at least one move to begin impeachment proceedings, President Biden is standing by Mr. Austin and has not asked for his resignation.