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A congressional coalition of former military pilots despatched a letter to President Biden demanding Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s resignation or instant dismissal amid ongoing questions surrounding his medical therapy in the ICU with out the White House’s information for days.
“We believe Secretary Austin’s blatant violation of the Pentagon’s Principles of Information and serious lapse in judgment warrants his immediate resignation, as well as the resignation of any staff involved in covering up his hospitalization. If he does not resign, he should be immediately dismissed,” the MACH 1 Caucus wrote to Biden in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
The MACH 1 Caucus includes Reps. August Pfluger (R-Texas), Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), and Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), all former military pilots. The caucus was formally introduced in February 2022 and advocates for fighter pilots and “educating other members” in Congress on military pilot-related points, the caucus mentioned when it was formally fashioned.
Pfluger, who spearheaded the letter, advised Fox News Digital that Austin’s absence in a hospital room with out the president’s information for days is “a complete dereliction of duty.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, and President Biden. (Bloomberg through Getty Images / AP Photo)
“As a former combat commander, I know how important it is to have secondary layers of authority in place during times of absence.” Pfluger mentioned. “These contingency plans have life-or-death implications. Secretary Austin has weakened our military from day one — by advocating for a woke and weak military and now by abdicating his post without properly appointing a proxy or notifying the President of the United States or the National Security Council.
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“This is an unimaginable menace to our nationwide safety and a whole dereliction of obligation. Secretary Austin, and any workers members concerned in overlaying up his hospitalization, should resign or be dismissed.”
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, conducts a news conference after a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the RNC on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Calls for Austin to resign or be fired have rung out repeatedly among conservative leaders and lawmakers since last week, when the media was made aware on Friday of Austin’s hospital treatment. Reports quickly followed that Biden, the National Security Council and top Pentagon leaders – including Austin’s deputy, Kathleen Hicks – were kept in the dark regarding the hospitalization for days. The Pentagon’s press secretary told the media Monday that it took so long to flag the White House and National Security Council of the hospitalization because Austin’s chief of staff had the flu.
On Tuesday, it was revealed Austin underwent a prostatectomy late last month after a prostate diagnosis and was admitted to the ICU last week due to developing a urinary tract infection following the procedure.
“It is unacceptable and unconscionable that the principal cupboard member chargeable for U.S. nationwide safety can be absent with out discover of go away, designating another chain of command, or making related Members of Congress and the Executive Branch conscious of such an absence. At a time of serious world instability as Ukraine defends itself in opposition to Russia and a regional battle continues in the Middle East, it’s harmful, reckless, and past regarding that the person you’ve gotten designated to lead our women and men in uniform doesn’t comply with the correct protocol when present process surgical procedure,” the MACH 1 Caucus wrote in their letter to Biden.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder arrives for a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
“This failure to notify the correct officers is a rare breach of protocol, and at most, dereliction of obligation,” the caucus added.
Fox News Digital spoke to former assistant U.S. attorney and Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy earlier this week, who detailed that there is a clear chain of command within the Department of Defense and federal government at large, and that Austin “undermined” the U.S. “constitutional dedication to civilian management of the military” and the nation’s “readiness in a time of disaster” when his admission to the ICU was concealed from the White House.
“The Constitution reposes all government energy in a single official, the president, and makes the president commander in chief of the armed forces. This ensures civilian management of the armed forces: the U.S. military doesn’t have unbiased constitutional standing – it solutions to the chief government and depends for its existence, operations and armaments on congressional laws,” McCarthy said.
Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin speaks during a joint press conference with Israel’s defense minister in Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2023. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
“Austin’s habits was reckless, notably at a time when battle has damaged out in Europe and the Middle East, China is a serious menace in the Pacific, world commerce is being paralyzed by piracy in the Red Sea, and American forces usually are not solely in hurt’s means however being attacked by Iranian proxies. By conserving his incapacity a secret from the White House, he undermined our constitutional dedication to civilian management of the military and undermined U.S. readiness in a time of disaster,” McCarthy added in his remark earlier this week.
The MACH 1 Caucus is calling on Biden to answer a series of questions by Jan. 23, such as whether “any key national security decisions [were] made during [Austin’s] absence;” details and a timeline on communication between Austin and federal government leaders that ensured “our military’s chain of command was intact ought to there have been an emergency.”
President Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“What particular disciplinary motion, if any, will Secretary Austin and any workers members who failed to meet the requirements of public disclosure for senior authorities officers unable to train their duties?” they asked.
The Pentagon and White House have pushed back on calls for Austin to resign or be fired, with a White House official telling Fox News Digital earlier this week that Biden “continues to have full belief and confidence in the Secretary.”
The Pentagon said Monday evening that the Department of Defense will review the process by which top leaders are notified of the transfer of duties from the secretary of defense.
“The division acknowledges the comprehensible considerations expressed by the general public, Congress and the information media in phrases of notification timelines and DOD transparency. Now, I would like to underscore once more that Secretary Austin has taken accountability for the problems with transparency, and the division is taking instant steps to enhance our notification procedures,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday.
The caucus called on Biden to schedule a meeting with the lawmakers to further discuss Austin’s hospitalization and the “breach of protocol.”
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The White House on Wednesday morning didn’t return a request for touch upon the MACH 1 letter.
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