WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, is publicly calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after he failed to inform the White House of his prostate cancer diagnosis and recent surgery and hospitalization.
Deluzio, a freshman lawmaker and Iraq War veteran, said in a statement Wednesday that he has “lost confidence in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Department of Defense due to the lack of transparency regarding his recent treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command.”
Deluzio’s office said Wednesday that the congressman is the first House Democrat to ask Austin to resign.
“I have a earnest responsibility in Congress to provide oversight of the Department of Defense through my service on the House Armed Services Committee. This duty requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign. I thank Secretary Austin for his leadership and years of dedicated service to the American people and wish him a speedy recovery,” said Deluzio, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who served three tours, including one as a U.S. Army civil affairs officer in Iraq, according to his office.
GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, formally launched an investigation Tuesday into Lloyd’s failure to disclose information.
“Everything from ongoing counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding of the Secretary’s decision-making capacity. “The Department is a solid institution and was designed to function in the face of attacks from our enemies, but it is not designed for a Secretary hiding his incapacity,” Rogers wrote in his letter. letter to Austin.
Hidden cancer diagnosis, hospitalization
According to a Pentagon press release sent at 5:23 p.m., journalists and the public learned on Friday that Austin had been admitted to the John Paul II National Military Medical Center. Walter Reed on New Year’s Day “due to complications from a recent elective medical procedure.”
It was later revealed that President Joe Biden and White House national security officials did not know about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, and as of Tuesday, they did not know the cause.
Austin released statement On Saturday, he said he “could have done a better job of keeping the public properly informed. I am committed to doing better.”
“But it’s important to say: This was my medical procedure and I take full responsibility for my decisions to disclose the information,” he said.
But further information was released Tuesday that cast doubt on the Pentagon’s initial claim that Austin’s procedure was elective.
Doctors at Walter Reed released a statement on Tuesday revealing that they had diagnosed prostate cancer in early December 2023, and on December 22, the secretary underwent a “minimally invasive” prostatectomy under general anesthesia. During this procedure, all or part of the prostate gland is usually removed.
He returned home on December 23 with an “excellent prognosis,” Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chestnut said in a statement.
However, on January 1, Austin returned to the hospital with nausea and severe pain in his abdomen, hips and legs. Initial examination revealed a urinary tract infection and Austin was admitted on January 2, doctors said.
“Further evaluation revealed that fluid accumulation in his abdominal cavity was impairing the function of his small intestine. This caused reflux of intestinal contents, which was treated by placing a tube through the nose to drain the stomach. The abdominal fluid collection was drained through non-surgical placement of a drain,” the doctors said in a statement.
Since being admitted to the hospital in January, Austin has “never lost consciousness” or been placed under general anesthesia, and the infection has resolved, doctors say.
On Tuesday afternoon, White House officials revealed that Biden was never informed of Austin’s cancer diagnosis.
“No one in the White House knew until this morning that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer, and the President was informed immediately after our information,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
When asked about it, Kirby said Biden plans to keep Austin in office for the rest of his term.
The Pentagon is currently conducting a 30-day trial review communication up and down the chain of command.
Austin remains in the hospital but “is in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor daily Department of Defense operations around the world,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Secretary also received an operational update today from the Commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr.,” Ryder said.
