Secretary Austin called to testify before House committee on hospitalization

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been summoned to testy before the House Armed Services Committee to answer questions about his recent hospitalization.

Austin was released from hospital Monday after being admitted Jan. 1 with severe pain due to intestinal complications that followed a Dec. 22 prostate cancer surgery.

However, the 70-year-old Defense secretary was in the hospital three days before the Biden administration, including President Joe Biden, was notified. Once his hospitalization was made public, Austin received criticism over his lack of transparency and calls to resign.

On Thursday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., sent Austin a letter requesting that he sit for testimony Feb. 14 to answer questions that remain concerning his failure to disclose his hospitalization.

"Maintaining the most ready and lethal force possible requires that everyone in the national security community be able to rely upon the secretary of Defense's availability and transparency," Rogers wrote in the letter. "Regrettably, you have not exhibited these attributes throughout this most recent string of events."

Rogers said he and Austin have already discussed issues surrounding the lack of medical disclosure, but some of his questions remained unanswered, including whether staff was instructed not inform Biden about his hospitalization.

He has also requested a detailed account of Austin's actions and intent to transfer his duties to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, among other information concerning the situation.

"I expect your full honesty and cooperation in this matter," Rogers said. "Anything short of that is completely unacceptable."

Austin has said he takes fully responsibility for the lack of disclosure, and the White House has voiced its support for the Defense secretary.

The Department of Defense also said that it will conduct an internal review.

"I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed," Austin said in a statement last week. "I commit to doing better."