WASHINGTON: The Pentagon‘s independent inspector general will investigate US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent medical treatment and failure to report his hospitalization to the rest of the government, a memo released Thursday said.
Austin kept President Joe Biden and Congress in the dark about his prostate cancer diagnosis for over a month and did not inform them about his hospitalization at the beginning of the year for days, leading to growing calls for him to resign or be fired.
The situation is a major headache for Biden in an election year, putting the president on the defensive and providing an opening for attacks by Republicans who are already painting him as too old to manage the job.
“The objective of the review is to examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to the Secretary of Defense’s hospitalization in December 2023 – January 2024,” the memo said, referring to Austin’s hospitalizations for prostate cancer treatment and subsequent complications.
The probe will also assess whether Defense Department “policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities as may be warranted due to health-based or other unavailability of senior leadership,” it added.
Austin, a 70-year-old career soldier, underwent minor surgery to treat the cancer on December 22, returning home the following day, but was readmitted due to complications including nausea and severe pain on January 1.
The White House was not informed about Austin’s hospitalization until last Thursday, while Congress was not told until Friday, and Biden did not learn of the cancer diagnosis until this week.
In response, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients ordered an urgent review of the rules for when senior US officials are incapacitated, as did Austin’s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen.
The secretary’s undisclosed hospitalization left a key national security official unaccounted for at a time when Washington’s forces are frequently under fire in Iraq and Syria, and Yemeni rebels are attacking international shipping in the Red Sea.
Austin kept President Joe Biden and Congress in the dark about his prostate cancer diagnosis for over a month and did not inform them about his hospitalization at the beginning of the year for days, leading to growing calls for him to resign or be fired.
The situation is a major headache for Biden in an election year, putting the president on the defensive and providing an opening for attacks by Republicans who are already painting him as too old to manage the job.
“The objective of the review is to examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to the Secretary of Defense’s hospitalization in December 2023 – January 2024,” the memo said, referring to Austin’s hospitalizations for prostate cancer treatment and subsequent complications.
The probe will also assess whether Defense Department “policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities as may be warranted due to health-based or other unavailability of senior leadership,” it added.
Austin, a 70-year-old career soldier, underwent minor surgery to treat the cancer on December 22, returning home the following day, but was readmitted due to complications including nausea and severe pain on January 1.
The White House was not informed about Austin’s hospitalization until last Thursday, while Congress was not told until Friday, and Biden did not learn of the cancer diagnosis until this week.
In response, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients ordered an urgent review of the rules for when senior US officials are incapacitated, as did Austin’s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen.
The secretary’s undisclosed hospitalization left a key national security official unaccounted for at a time when Washington’s forces are frequently under fire in Iraq and Syria, and Yemeni rebels are attacking international shipping in the Red Sea.