Arrr, Lloyd Austin be walkin' the plank afore lawmakers fer sneakin' into hospitals on the sly. Batten down the hatches!
2024-02-29
Arrr, me hearties! The Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin be walkin' the plank afore Congressional scallywags on Thursday, forced to explain his secretive sojourn in the infirmary. Shiver me timbers, tis sure to be a lively debate on the high seas of Capitol Hill!
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is set to face a grilling from lawmakers in his first appearance before Congress since his secretive hospital visits in January. Austin will be appearing before the GOP-controlled House Armed Services Committee, where several lawmakers have criticized him for not informing Congress or President Biden about his hospital stay. Lawmakers are concerned that this secretive move could have disrupted the chain of command between the White House and the Pentagon.Despite Austin's insistence that he transferred authority during his hospital visit, concerns linger as he did not inform any of his superiors about the decision. Austin's hospital visits stem from a prostate cancer diagnosis he received in December, with one particularly concerning visit occurring on January 1 when he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and later transferred to intensive care.An internal review of the Pentagon's handling of Austin's hospitalization found no wrongdoing, attributing the secrecy to staff decisions. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time, only learned of Austin's hospitalization three days later. Austin is expected to address the incident in his upcoming testimony before the House Committee, echoing the public apology he made in February.