Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been asked to testify before the House Committee on Armed Services on his recent controversial hospitalization.
In a Thursday letter, House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ohio) asked that Austin attend a hearing on Feb. 14, saying the committee “expects to hear your direct testimony regarding decisions made to withhold information from the President, Congress, and the American people.”
He noted that the two previously spoke about his hospitalization, but that a number of his concerns were not addressed.
“I am alarmed you refused to answer whether you instructed your staff to not inform the President of the United States or anyone else of your hospitalization,” the letter reads. “Unfortunately, this leads me to believe that information is being withheld from Congress. Congress must understand what happened and who made decisions to prevent the disclosure of the whereabouts of a cabinet secretary.”
He continued, “In the meantime, it is my expectation that you promptly answer all outstanding questions so the Committee can review the necessary information in preparation for the upcoming hearing,” the letter continued.
Rogers called on Austin’s full cooperation, saying, “Anything short of that is completely unacceptable.”
Austin was slammed by Republicans, and a few Democrats, after news broke that Biden learned of Austin’s hospitalization only shortly before it became public knowledge.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), an Armed Services Committee member, was one of the few Democrats to suggest Austin should be penalized over his secret hospitalization.
“It’s up to the president as to whether he fires Secretary Austin, but I tell you what, he needs to send a decisive message that this is never gonna happen again,” Moulton said on “The Hill” on NewsNation.
“I would fire him in about five minutes,” Moulton added.
President Biden noted that while Austin displayed a lapse of judgment in waiting to inform the White House of his hospitalization, he still has confidence in his ability to lead the Pentagon.
Austin was released from Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Monday following complications stemming from a December surgery related to prostate cancer.
“I also am thankful and appreciative for all the well wishes I received for a speedy recovery. Now, as I continue to recuperate and perform my duties from home, I’m eager to fully recover and return as quickly as possible to the Pentagon,” he said in a recent statement following his release.
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