Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to undergo a medical procedure Friday and transfer his power - after facing furious backlash for his previous treatment done in secret without evening informing the White House.
Pentagon officials announced that Mr Austin was set to have an “elective and minimally invasive” follow-up procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center for a bladder issue. The treatment is non-surgical.
“The Secretary has determined he will be temporarily unable to perform his functions and duties during the procedure, so Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense and serve as the Acting Secretary of Defense,’ Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
The bladder issue is separate from the cancer diagnosis, officials said.
It was that cancer treatment that found him in hot water earlier this year as he was taken to the hospital and didn’t inform other Pentagon officials, the White House or President Joe Biden.
On Jan. 1, Mr. Austin was hospitalized at Walter Reed following a surgery for his prostate cancer weeks earlier. He was eventually transferred to the ICU and remained there for several days. His treatment was not disclosed to Mr Biden or the public for several days, sparking a backlash throughout Washington, DC.
In February, Mr Austin was hauled before Congress for a hearing about his secret treatment.
The Defense Secretary said command and control authority had always been in the correct hands during his hospital stay, but admitted the handing over of his duties to a deputy was done in the dark. Republicans pounced on Mr Austin during the hearing over his failure to notify.
“Mr Secretary, who will be held accountable for this embarrassment?” Rep. Jim Banks asked, prompting Mr Austin to note that he took full responsibility for his actions. He went on to quote two “leading” propaganda outfits in China and Russia which portrayed the situation as signs of “chaos” within the US government.
“Our adversaries should fear us. What you’ve done is embarrassed us,” the chairman went on to claim.
His remarks were largely followed by emotionless acknowledgments from the Pentagon chief and were more directly refuted by Democrats on the panel, who rallied to Mr Austin’s defense.
