The House Armed Services Committee said in a press release Sunday that it is “concerned” about the delay in “publicizing” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's health status to government officials as he reportedly remains hospitalized. expressed.

Committee released A bipartisan press statement from Republican Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers and ranking Democratic member Rep. Adam Smith said the committee was “concerned” by Austin's “handling of the condition.” The lawmakers also noted that there were still “several questions” that “remain unanswered” and highlighted the secretary's “current health status.” (Related article: 'I could have done a better job' Lloyd Austin on lack of transparency surrounding hospitalization)

“Although we hope that Section Austin made a speedy recovery, we are concerned about how the public disclosure of the Secretary's condition was handled. The medical procedure and associated complications Several questions remain unanswered, including what happened, what is the Secretary's current state of health, when and how the Secretary's responsibilities were delegated, and why notification to the President and Congress was delayed. It remains the same,” he said. stated in the press release.

“Transparency is extremely important. Second Austin must provide additional details regarding his health and the decision-making process that has occurred over the past week as soon as possible.”

Reports on Austin's health status were circulated Friday after the Department of Defense (DOD) failed to report them. Notice The White House was informed of Austin's hospitalization. The Secretary of Defense was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for surgery on January 1 for undisclosed medical issues.

But National Security Council officials were not notified until Thursday, after he remained in intensive care for several days after surgery.

“The NSC is part of our team, part of our family,” said Chuck Hagel, Obama's former Secretary of Defense. politiko. “The president needs to know where his Cabinet members are at all times.”

Additionally, Pentagon officials and lawmakers were first informed of the news on Friday, shortly before it became public. (Related: Pentagon did not notify White House about Lloyd Austin's hospitalization for several days)

meanwhile Austin then statement Several key officials apologized for the lack of transparency on the issue and condemned the Secretary of Defense's actions.

Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence condemned Austin's move in a speech Sunday. interview CNN's “State of the Union” describes this as “Neglect of duty. “

“While I wish the Secretary of Defense well and am glad he is making a full recovery, this response by the Secretary of Defense is completely unacceptable. The American people need to know more about his condition and why. I believe you have a right to know… [and] I was informed that I was incompetent,” Pence said.

“But when you think about it when our allies are at war…that the American military leadership at the Pentagon was off duty for several days and the President of the United States didn't know about it, I thought… Neglect of duty. “

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was not immediately informed of his colleague's condition.

SEC. Blinken: “As for Secretary Austin, I was not aware of his health issues…” https://t.co/er6YTJ2ynU pic.twitter.com/N39tIkXQNH

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 8, 2024

Additionally, the Pentagon Press Association said in a statement that the failure to clarify Austin's situation was an “unconscionable act.”

From the Pentagon Press Association to the Pentagon Press Director.

The American people deserve transparency. period. pic.twitter.com/RcfRb2xMwN

— Haley Britsky (@halbritz) January 6, 2024

Following the news, members of the House Armed Services Committee issued separate statements condemning the Secretary of Defense's actions.

Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon called for “transparency and accountability” in the incident on social media, saying the United States had “15 minutes” to respond to a “nuclear attack” in which Austin played a “significant” role. He emphasized that there was a “warning period”.

The warning time for nuclear attacks by Russia and China using the latest weapons is 15 minutes. SECDEF is critical to addressing this. It was a failure of leadership not to tell WH that SECDEF was in ICU for 3 days. Needs fix now. https://t.co/dojMnoof53

— Rep. Don Bacon🇺🇸 (@RepDonBacon) January 7, 2024

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the department's “shocking law violations” are “unacceptable” and how they “further undermine confidence in the Biden administration.” I emphasized that.

.@SASCGOP R.M. @Senator Wicker:

“I'm glad to hear that @SecDef His condition is improving and I wish him a speedy recovery. However, the fact remains that the Pentagon deliberately withheld the Secretary of Defense's medical condition for several days. That's unacceptable. ”

(1/X)

— SASC GOP (@SASCGOP) January 7, 2024

In addition, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a member of the committee, said Austin “must promptly address” the delay in notifying the White House.

Fox News reported that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks took over the role of Defense Secretary on January 2, but was not informed that Austin was hospitalized. That's what it means. Hicks, who was vacationing in Puerto Rico, was only told Thursday of Austin's medical condition and that intervention was needed, the newspaper reported. report.

austin He reportedly returned to full duty on Friday but remains hospitalized. according to Go to AP News.

Brad Carson, who served as deputy secretary of the Army and chief executive officer during the Obama administration, said there is no standard procedure for a defense secretary to announce a temporary leave of absence, such as during a hospitalization. politiko.

The NSC and the Pentagon declined to comment, according to the newspaper.