Top House Republican launches investigation into Defense secretary’s hospitalization

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, launched a formal investigation Tuesday into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization last week as the Pentagon chief comes under fire for failing to disclose a surgery to the White House and other key officials for days.

Rogers sent letters to Austin, his chief of staff Kelly Magsamen and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks demanding they answer questions about their personal experience with the hospitalization and provide relevant documents and communications.

In a letter to Austin, Rogers called the failure to quickly notify administration officials of the surgery an “outrageous situation.”

“Everything from on-going counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control
relies on a clear understanding of the secretary’s decision-making capacity,” Rogers wrote in the letter. “The department is a robust institution, and it is designed to function under attack by our enemies, but it is not designed for a Secretary who conceals being incapacitated.”

“With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable,” he added.

Rogers said Austin must provide information on whether Austin directed his staff not to inform officials of the hospitalization, and requested detailed information about the transfer of the Pentagon’s authorities to Hicks.

He also requested the Defense secretary explain what actions he took while hospitalized and what military action was taken under U.S. Central Command, which is in charge of the Middle East.

A U.S. strike was carried out against an Iranian-backed militia leader on Jan. 4, when Austin was hospitalized, but the Pentagon said the secretary approved the military action before he was incapacitated.

The Pentagon said Tuesday that Austin learned of a prostate cancer diagnosis in early December and underwent a minimally invasive surgery on Dec. 22.

Austin had a urinary tract infection that led to complications on Jan. 1, requiring him to be transported to the hospital, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., via ambulance.

Austin was in the intensive care unit until Jan. 5, at which point he resumed his full duties again, though he remains in a private area of the hospital as of Tuesday.

President Biden and the White House did not learn of his hospitalization until Jan. 4 and first heard of his cancer diagnosis Tuesday.

Both the White House and Pentagon are reviewing procedures and rules following the incident regarding notifications of absence.

But Congress has expressed serious concerns about the failure to notify key officials in the Biden administration, and some Republicans have called for his resignation.

In the letter to Hicks — who assumed the authorities leading the Pentagon on Jan. 2 but learned of Austin’s hospitalization on Jan. 4 — Rogers said it was “shocking” she did not know the condition of her boss.

“It is disconcerting that you were acting in his capacity as Secretary of Defense without fully understanding his condition,” Rogers wrote.

Other questions remain on why Austin’s staff did not notify the White House and other officials until days later.

Magsamen, Austin’s chief of staff, was out sick, according to the Pentagon, and staffing was sparse because of the holidays.

But Rogers said in a letter to Magsamen that Congress should understand “how this unacceptable breakdown in disclosure concerning the secretary’s capacity to lead the Department occurred.”

“As you must be aware,” he wrote, “this lack of transparency is inexcusable and could have resulted in calamity.”