Lloyd Austin: Scrutiny grows on US defence secretary over hospital secrecy
Lloyd Austin: Biden backs US defence secretary after secretive hospital stay
(about 3 hours later)
The Pentagon says Lloyd Austin has resumed his full duties but he is believed to still be in hospital
The Pentagon says Lloyd Austin has resumed his full duties but he is believed to still be in hospital
Criticism of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is growing, after it emerged his deputy was unaware that he was in hospital despite assuming some of his responsibilities.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will not be fired despite his failure last week to disclose he had been admitted to hospital, says the White House.
Kathleen Hicks was not informed until 4 January that Mr Austin was in intensive care, four days after he entered hospital, US media reported.
"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job," White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Mr Austin, 70, resumed his full duties on Friday evening, the Pentagon said.
Mr Austin, 70, remained in hospital as of Monday morning, Mr Kirby added.
But questions are swirling around the secrecy of his medical situation.
It emerged on Sunday that it took three days for Mr Biden to learn of the defence secretary's hospital stay.
The defence secretary sits just below the president in the chain of command for the US military and the Pentagon's failure to disclose Mr Austin's illness has raised concerns about a lack of transparency.
The defence secretary sits just below the president in the chain of command for the US military and must be available at all times to respond to any national security emergency.
For three days, senior defence officials and even the White House were not aware of Mr Austin's hospital visit.
The Pentagon's failure to disclose Mr Austin's illness has drawn criticism.
Members of both parties have expressed alarm over the secrecy of the hospital stay, but the Biden administration has so far backed Mr Austin.
Leading Republicans, including Donald Trump, have called for Mr Austin to be fired. Senior Democrats have expressed alarm over the failure to disclose the hospital stays.
The White House on Monday said it would review what happened with the communications process.
On Monday, Mr Kirby said the White House would look into what happened.
"We'll do what's akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
"We'll do what's akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this," Mr Kirby said.
President Joe Biden, who spoke with Mr Austin on Saturday, has "no plans for anything other than Secretary Austin to stay in the job", Mr Kirby also told reporters.
"The president's number one focus is on his [Mr Austin's] health and recovery, and he's looking forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible," he said.
"The president's number one focus is on his health and recovery, and he's looking forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible," he said.
On Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman revealed that Mr Austin had undergone an elective medical procedure on 22 December and returned home the next day. The medical issue has not been disclosed.
Defence officials also told US media that notifications were delayed because Mr Austin's chief of staff was out sick.
On Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman revealed Mr Austin had undergone an elective medical procedure on 22 December and returned home the next day.
But he began experiencing "severe pain" on the evening of 1 January and was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC, Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.
But he began experiencing "severe pain" on the evening of 1 January and was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC, Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.
Mr Ryder added that the defence secretary's medical needs required a stay in the intensive care unit and he "then remained in that location in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy".
Mr Ryder added that the defence secretary was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and he "remained in that location in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy".
Even as he assumes his full duties, Mr Austin is believed to still be at Walter Reed and officials have not disclosed when he will be discharged.
Even as he assumed his full duties on Friday, Mr Austin remained in hospital, but no longer in the ICU.
In a statement on Saturday, he said: "I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon.
In a statement on Saturday, the retired four-star general said: "I recognise I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better."
"I recognise I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better," he added.
The United States has a civilian-controlled military, and the armed forces need to know who is in charge at any one time.
"But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure."
Officials told CNN that Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon's second-in-command, began assuming some of her boss's responsibilities last Monday, New Year's Day, while she was on holiday in Puerto Rico.
The failure to notify key officials within the chain of command, however, has drawn increasing scrutiny.
But she was not informed until 4 January that Mr Austin was in intensive care, US media reported. The White House only learned last Thursday, too, that Mr Austin was in hospital.
The United States has a civilian controlled military, and while the president is the commander in chief, his secretary of defence sits directly below him in the chain of command for the military. The armed forces take their direction from their political masters, and they need to know who is and who is not running things at any one time.
No-one within the chain of command was notified earlier because Mr Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, was off sick with flu, according to defence officials.
NSC spokesperson John Kirby has told reporters there was an expectation that "any hospitalisation" would be notified up the chain of command, and not informing the White House for three days is clearly not timely.
Gen Ryder told CNN the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff had been notified on Tuesday.
Officials told CNN that Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon's second-in-command, began assuming some of her boss's responsibilities last Monday but was in the dark about her boss's whereabouts until Thursday.
Gen CQ Brown, however, is a subordinate adviser who does not fall in the chain of command.
Mr Ryder has said that Mr Austin's chief of staff Kelly Magsamen was ill and "unable to make notifications before then".
Military service secretaries were not notified until Friday, Mr Ryder conceded.
"She made those notifications on Thursday to the deputy secretary and national security adviser," he said.
Pressure will now grow on the secretary of defence to disclose more about his health problems.
He told CNN that the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff had been notified on Tuesday. Gen CQ Brown, however, is a subordinate advisor who does not fall in the chain of command.
It comes amid the US's deep involvement in two current theatres of conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Military service secretaries who sit in the chain of command were not notified until Friday, Mr Ryder conceded.
Leading Republicans and senior Democrats, including some allies of the administration, have expressed alarm over the incident.
"The most disturbing thing I heard is that neither President Biden nor members of the National Security Council were informed he was hospitalised until Thursday," Leon Panetta, who served as defence secretary in the Obama administration, told CNN on Sunday.
"That's not acceptable. We've got to be able to make sure that the chain of command remains solid and people responsible for protecting our national defence are in place."
Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House armed services committee, wrote in a joint statement with a Republican colleagues that Mr Austin must provide "additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible".
Some Republicans have called for Mr Austin to be sacked.
Former President Donald Trump said the secretary "should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty", while Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton called for "consequences for this shocking breakdown".
Off the record assurances that Mr Biden isn't considering firing Mr Austin will do little to quiet the questions over what is undoubtedly a serious lapse in judgement.
Pressure will now grow on the secretary of defence to disclose more about his health problems and whether he is up to a demanding role, which sees the US deeply involved in two current theatres of conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine.
