Austin released from hospital after complications from surgery he kept secret
US reviews procedures for notifying White House if cabinet member transfers decision-making authorities, after US defense secretary hid prostate cancer diagnosis for weeks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from surgery for prostate cancer that he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.
He is expected to work from home as he recovers.
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized January 1 and admitted to intensive care.
Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.
US President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until January 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until January 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.
During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, late last week, the US launched a series of military strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order, and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.
The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered US administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered cabinet members to notify his office if they ever cannot perform their duties.
Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.
It was still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel, and other public engagements going forward. US Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.
