- Sputnik International, 1920
Americas
Sputnik brings you all the latest breaking stories, expert analysis and videos from North and South America.

US Defense Secretary Summoned to Testify Before Congress About Hospitalization

© AFP 2023 / JIM WATSONUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing for the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2023
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing for the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2023 - Sputnik International, 1920, 19.01.2024
Subscribe
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers in a letter demanded US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin appear before the panel for a testimony to discuss the lack of transparency of his hospitalization earlier this month.
"Your unwillingness to provide candid and complete answers necessitates calling a Full Committee hearing on February 14, 2024, where the Committee expects to hear your direct testimony regarding decisions made to withhold information from the President, Congress, and the American people," Rogers said in the letter on Thursday.
The chairman clarified that although Austin did respond to some of his questions on this matter, several others were not addressed. Rogers highlighted that he was "alarmed" that Austin refused to answer whether he instructed his staff to not inform President Joe Biden or anyone else about his hospitalization.
The Congressman asked Austin to provide a written response to additional questions about his failure to disclose his hospitalization by February 7.
Austin was hospitalized on January 1 due to an infection, following prostate cancer surgery in late December and has not been in office since then.
The US Defense Department failed to communicate Austin’s hospitalization to the White House for several days, prompting a Pentagon Inspector General probe and bipartisan calls for him to leave his leadership position.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin listens President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine from the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. - Sputnik International, 1920, 10.01.2024
Analysis
US Defense Chief's Hospitalization Scandal Reveals Biden Team's 'Total Incompetence'
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала