Jeffries says Pentagon leader shouldn’t resign after scandal

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he thinks Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin should not resign following a scandal about the transparency behind his recent hospitalization.

Austin underwent surgery for prostate cancer Dec. 22, a hospital visit that was kept secret from the White House. On Jan. 1, he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications, and he also kept that hospitalization secret for days.

The Pentagon and the Biden administration have faced extreme scrutiny in recent days after it was revealed that Austin had been hospitalized for four days. It was later revealed that President Biden and top Defense officials had not been aware of the secretary’s condition for three days.

“From my standpoint, we need far more information before I can make any detailed comment on the appropriate comment on the ways forward. But I do not believe Secretary Austin should resign,” Jeffries said at a press conference Thursday.

Jeffries said his thoughts and prayers are with Austin, a man who “served his country for decades.” He said he is hopeful the secretary makes a “full, complete and speedy recovery.”

The New York lawmaker said he looks forward to being briefed by the Biden administration “in terms of protocols they may put in place moving forward to ensure that information flow within the administration and between the administration and Congress is more expeditious and to also make sure that there are plans in place in terms of the chain of command” when a Cabinet member is temporarily unable to perform their role.

Democrat Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) called for Austin to resign, saying he “lost trust” in the secretary. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the House Armed Services Committee chair, launched an investigation into Austin’s hospitalization and raised concerns about his failure to notify officials of his absence. Former President Trump said he thinks Austin should be “fired immediately for improper professional conduct.”

Several key Republican senators are holding off on calling for Austin to resign but have piled on criticism in the days since the news went public.

Despite the Pentagon’s reassurance that the deputy secretary of Defense was prepared to act if necessary, the Department of Defense and Austin have been criticized for their lack of transparency during a time when the U.S. military is facing growing threats and carrying out attacks in the Middle East and playing a key role in two wars in Israel and Ukraine.