Lawmakers set to grill Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over secret hospitalization
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will testify to Congress about his days-long delay in notifying President Joe Biden and lawmakers of his secret hospitalization after his cancer diagnosis.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to appear before members of Congress on Thursday to answer questions about his days-long delay in notifying President Joe Biden and lawmakers of his secret hospitalization after his cancer diagnosis.
Austin is expected to come under heavy scrutiny when he appears before the House Armed Services Committee. Several Republican lawmakers had called on Austin to resign over the incident.
Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., launched an inquiry last month into Austin’s failure to disclose his hospitalization and requested his testimony on the matter. In letters to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, Rogers asked for details such as any medical sedation or general anesthesia Austin received, any instructions not to inform people about his hospitalization, and any official acts he performed during his hospitalization.
The Defense Department’s inspector general is conducting an internal review into the matter.
Austin has apologized for failing to properly handle and communicate his cancer diagnosis and hospitalization.
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