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Republican lawmakers confronted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday about his “failure of leadership” during his hospitalization.
Austin performed protection all through the listening to, contending that there have been by no means any gaps within the command and management chain between President Biden’s administration and the U.S. army. He nonetheless apologized for failing to inform his superiors for a number of days during his early January hospitalization.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., started the listening to with scathing remarks.
“The fact that Def. Sec. Austin could be hospitalized for three days without anyone in the administration knowing implies his advice is neither sought nor heeded in the White House,” Rogers mentioned.
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Republican lawmakers confronted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about his “failure of leadership” during his hospitalization.
Austin later responded, saying it isn’t solely unusual for he and Biden to go with out direct communication for a number of days.
Criticism of Austin was a degree of uncommon unity for Republicans and Democrats on the committee. Ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., mentioned he agreed with practically each level Rogers made in his opening assertion, solely disagreeing with the declare that there had been gaps in nationwide safety communications during the incident.
Democratic lawmakers appeared happy with the modifications Austin has already made since his early January hospitalization. He mentioned the Pentagon has now codified procedures for each transferring authorities during emergency incidents and for notifying different key members of the administration and employees on the Pentagon.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., supplied scathing remarks to Sec. Austin firstly of Thursday’s listening to.
Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., a virtually 40-year veteran of the army, argued these protocols had already been in place, nonetheless. He argued as an alternative that it was a “failure of leadership” that brought about the confusion.
“I would argue that the protocols that were in place on January 2 were adequate. It was a failure of leadership in implementing the controls and protocols that were already in place,” Kelly mentioned.
“I can tell you, if the [Chief of Naval Operations] would’ve done this and just disappeared for three days, there would be actions and consequences. Maybe not to him or her, but to the person who did that. If the commandant of the Marine Corps did this without reporting upward, there would be consequences. If a private soldier or a sailor or a marine had done this or an airman, there would’ve been consequences,” he added.
Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., a virtually 40-year veteran of the army, argued these protocols had already been in place, nonetheless. He argued as an alternative that it was a “failure of leadership” that brought about the confusion.
“I don’t think there was a threat to national security because of this, Secretary Austin. I don’t think that there ever was. The protocols were in place. I do, however, think it was an extreme lack of leadership at some level, and I hope we identify that and there are consequences,” he completed.
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Austin is scheduled to seem earlier than the Armed Services Committee but once more in roughly a month.
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