Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin underwent surgery in December and returned to the hospital in early January without notification Congress and President Joe Biden. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) all wrote a letter demanding answers as to why this happened and why only recently did anyone (even President Biden) anyone know about Sec. Austin's time out of office for health reasons.
While Sen. Scott's letter reassures Sec. Austin that they wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery, "we are deeply troubled by the apparent breakdown in communications between your office and the rest of the Department of Defense, the White House, and Congress over the past two weeks."
Additionally, the letter pointed out that Austin's failure to notify anyone of his surgery and recovery violates the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which established rules and regulations on the temporary filling of positions requiring Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
As a result, Sen. Scott's letter demands answers to no less than seventeen questions, some with follow-up questions, expected to be answered by January 19th, such as when and why Austin required hospitalization, who knew ahead of the Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, and why those who knew did not say anything sooner.
New information has since revealed Austin returned to the hospital due to complications arising from prostate cancer-related surgery, forcing Deputy Secretary Hicks to assume the post for four days while on vacation in Puerto Rico.
The Wall Street Journal also pointed out that Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, was also sick the day he was readmitted to the hospital, further hampering communication. Furthermore, the Journal suggested this event could have been the result of Austin's "penchant for privacy" and apparent "culture of secrecy that has been a hallmark of [his] tenure" as Defense Secretary rearing an ugly head.
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) demanded Congressional hearings when the scandal first broke, saying, "The DoD’s failure to inform the White House, Congress, and the American People of Secretary Austin’s incapacitation reflects the lack of leadership, competency, and transparency throughout the entire Biden administration."
