Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on Thursday that he mishandled his mysterious hospitalization last month but emphasized there “was never any lapse in authorities” as a consequence.
“We did not handle this right,” Austin, 70, admitted during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, per the New York Post. “And I did not handle it right.”
Austin was hospitalized on New Year’s Day due to complications from a December 22 prostatectomy, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
An unclassified summary of the events released by the Pentagon showed his assistants and the assistants of deputy secretary Kathleen Hicks’ determined on January 2 that a “transfer of authorities” was needed. However, Hicks was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time and did not learn about his hospitalization until January 4. The White House and the American public learned of the hospitalization on January 5.
Austin claimed on Thursday that the lapse in judgment from his team did not lead to any confusion of authority.
“There was never any lapse in authorities or in command and control,” he told lawmakers, according to the New York Post. “At all times, either I or the deputy secretary was in the position to conduct the duties of my office.”
“But we did have a breakdown in notifications during my January stay at Walter Reed, that is, sharing my location and why I was there,” he continued. “And back in December, I should have promptly informed the president, my team in Congress, and the American people of my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment.”
Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern over Austin’s absence during the hearing. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member on the committee, said “the lack of transparency … should not be repeated.”
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the committee chair, noted that miscommunication from Austin’s team came amid heightened national security concerns.
“The chain of command doesn’t work when the commander in chief doesn’t know who to call,” Rogers said, per the New York Post.
The Defense Department’s inspector general is conducting a review into the agency’s handling of Austin’s hospitalization.