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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has agreed to seem earlier than lawmakers and face questions on his secret hospitalization later this month.
Austin will seem at a listening to hosted by the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 29, in accordance to the committee.
“The Department of Defense has confirmed to the House Armed Services Committee that Secretary Austin will testify before on the Committee on February 29th on his failure to disclose his hospitalization,” House Armed Services Committee spokesperson Justine Tripathi mentioned.
The Committee referred to as Austin to testify after the protection secretary was hospitalized final month for prostate most cancers therapy with out public discover and with out informing the White House.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a press convention in Tel Aviv, Israel, Dec. 18, 2023. Austin has agreed to testify about his secret hospitalization at a listening to hosted by the House Armed Services Committee on February 29. (AP Photo / Maya Alleruzzo / File)
Austin, 70, instructed reporters he apologized instantly to President Biden for not giving advance discover of his situation or hospital keep, acknowledging, “I did not handle this right.”
“I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people,” he mentioned at a press convention final Thursday.
Austin insisted there have been “no gaps in authorities and no risk to the department’s command and control” throughout his hospitalization, which got here at a time of disaster within the Middle East. The day he returned to work in particular person on the Pentagon, Jan. 29, was at some point after a drone strike by Iran-backed militants killed three U.S. service members and injured not less than 40 others in Jordan at a put up close to the Syrian border.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a gathering on the Pentagon in Washington, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. Some lawmakers have referred to as for Austin to resign after he didn’t inform the White House of his hospital keep for prostate most cancers therapy. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Fox News’ nationwide safety correspondent Jennifer Griffin famous that throughout the time that Austin was within the intensive care unit, there was a drone strike carried out towards an Iraqi chief of a militia.
The unannounced absence has led to calls from some lawmakers for Austin to resign, however he has mentioned he won’t achieve this.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., referred to as on Austin to testify earlier than the committee in a Jan. 18 letter and reply questions together with whether or not the protection secretary instructed his employees not to inform the president of his hospitalization.
Austin’s workplace mentioned the Department of Defense offered the House Armed Services Committee three letters in a “good-faith effort” to reply to the panel whereas “recognizing that there is an internal 30-day review underway, and the DOD Inspector General is conducting his own review.”
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Austin returned to work in a digital capability on Jan. 5 whereas nonetheless hospitalized, even authorizing airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Despite being admitted to Walter Reed upon Jan.1, the Pentagon did not inform the general public, press or Congress till Jan. 5.
Officials additionally acknowledged that the White House had not been knowledgeable about Austin’s hospitalization till Jan. 4.
Fox News Danielle Wallace, Louis Casiano and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.
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