Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has agreed to testify in front of the House Armed Services Committee about his decisions to keep his recent hospitalization a secret from top Biden administration officials.
The secretary will appear in front of the committee on Feb. 29, the committee’s spokesperson said on Tuesday. Lawmakers initially pushed for Austin to appear next week, but the testimony was pushed because the secretary said he had a scheduling conflict.
The testimony is expected to center on the secretary’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis revelation and his two-week hospitalization that stemmed from complications in treating it. Austin received the diagnosis in early December, had surgery to treat it on Dec. 22, 2023, and was hospitalized with complications on Jan. 1.
During the hospitalization, Austin briefly gave up some of his authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. But the White House, Congress, and the public were not notified of his hospitalization for days. Austin has admitted that he mishandled his hospitalization but said he never told his staff to hide it.
“I was being treated for prostate cancer,” Austin said last week. “The news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, especially in the black community. It was a gut punch, and, frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. I don’t think it’s news that I’m a pretty private guy. I never like burdening others with my problems. It’s just not my way. But, I’ve learned from this experience.”
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The announcement comes after House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) requested that the secretary answer questions about the hospitalization after he failed to provide “candid and complete answers” to a series of written questions from the committee about the timeline of the hospitalization and subsequent transfer of responsibilities.
The panel has also sent questions to Hicks and Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, about decisions related to the events. Magsamen, Hicks, and Austin have until the end of the day Wednesday to respond to the unanswered questions.
