Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agrees to testify about secret hospitalization

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agreed to testify before the House Armed Services Committee later this month about his recent hospitalization that he initially kept secret from his staff and the president.

Armed Services Committee spokesperson Justine Tripathi told Axios that Austin had agreed to testify before the committee on Feb. 29.

Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the committee's chair, said he initially sought to have Austin testify as early as next week but told Politico Austin had "a date conflict" that led them to set a new date.

During the hearing, lawmakers will seek answers for why Austin went AWOL for several days in early January, and failed to reveal his hospital stay for prostate cancer surgery in advance.

The 70-year-old Austin, the nation's first Black defense chief, has faced growing calls to step down since the scandal came to light, while President Joe Biden expressed confidence in Austin even though he never gave advance notice of his scheduled hospitalization.

Rogers sent a letter Austin in January telling the secretary to come forward due to his "unwillingness to provide candid and complete answers" to written questions.

Previously, Rogers said he and Austin discussed his lack of transparency, but some of his questions remained unanswered, including whether staff was instructed not to inform Biden about his hospitalization.

Last week, Austin held a press briefing at the Pentagon in which he acknowledged waiting several days to notify the White House and Congress about his health-related absence, saying: "We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right."

"I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis," Austin admitted. "I should have also told my team and the American public. And I take full responsibility."

Austin said in the future he would immediately notify his deputy secretary and several White House offices, including the Situation Room, if he becomes impaired.

He explained that there were no gaps in authorities and no risks to the department's command and control during his absence. He said at every moment he or the deputy secretary was in full charge.