Biden Backs Defense Secretary Austin Amidst Hospitalization Secrecy Questions
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that President Joe Biden is looking forward to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s return to regular duties at the Pentagon, and intends to keep Austin as Secretary despite a growing row over the secrecy around Austin’s recent hospitalization.
Kirby told reporters that while the delay in disclosing Austin’s hospitalization did not meet the National Security Council’s expectations for transparency, Biden respected Austin taking ownership for the delayed disclosure. “There are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue the leadership he has been demonstrating”, said Kirby.
On Sunday, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder stated that Austin was still hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but is “recovering well and in good spirits”. In a statement, Ryder said that while the Pentagon did not have a specific date for when Austin would be discharged from Walter Reed, it would provide updates on the Secretary’s status “as they become available”.
The statement added that Austin had resumed his duties on Friday evening, receiving operational updates and providing necessary guidance to his team. Austin now has “full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DoD’s day-to-day operations worldwide”, with Austin speaking with President Biden on Saturday.
Earlier on Sunday, Ryder said that Austin had been hospitalized on 1 January after beginning to suffer “severe pain” following an elective medical procedure on 22 December. Austin’s medical needs required him to be warded in Walter Reed’s intensive care unit, remaining there “in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy”.
The Pentagon had disclosed late on Friday that Austin had been hospitalized on January 1, sparking controversy over the delay in notifying the public. Officials that spoke to CNN said that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was only informed on January 4 that Austin had been hospitalized. According to Ryder, the delay was due to Austin’s chief of staff falling ill, delaying notification until Thursday, with service chiefs only told on Friday.
On Sunday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Democrat Adam Smith issued a joint statement calling for the Pentagon to provide more details on Austin’s current status, and on the procedure that caused his complications:
“While we wish Sec. Austin a speedy recovery, we are concerned with how the disclosure of the Secretary’s condition was handled. Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretary’s current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretary’s responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress.
Transparency is vitally important. Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.”