{"id":2144980,"date":"2024-01-09T21:23:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T02:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-panel-launches-probe-into-defense-secretary-going-awol\/"},"modified":"2024-01-09T21:25:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T02:25:09","slug":"house-panel-launches-probe-into-defense-secretary-going-awol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-panel-launches-probe-into-defense-secretary-going-awol\/","title":{"rendered":"House panel investigates Defense Secretary&#8217;s absence"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-panel-launches-probe-into-defense-secretary-going-awol%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2144980&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>House\u200b Panel Launches Formal Inquiry into \u200dDefense\u2063 Secretary&#8217;s Hospitalization<\/h2>\n<p>A House panel has announced a\u200c &#8220;formal\u2062 inquiry&#8221; into the secretive\u2062 hospitalization of\u2062 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, causing alarm in Washington. The \u200cArmed Services Committee has sent letters to Austin, his deputy Kathleen Hicks, and Austin&#8217;s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen, requesting information on the events of the past few \u2064weeks.\u200c The inquiry was prompted by the \u2063revelation that Austin had been hospitalized for complications following a procedure to treat\u2064 prostate cancer, and that even the \u2062White House was unaware of the &#8220;root cause&#8221; \u200duntil recently.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;My colleagues \u200cand \u2063I have grave concerns \u2064about the handling of your absence \u200dand \u2062hospitalization. It \u2062is unacceptable that neither the\u200b Department\u200c of \u2063Defense, the White House, nor the\u200d Congress were accurately informed of your position or capacity. With \u2063wars in Ukraine and Israel,\u2063 the \u2063idea that\u200c the White House and \u200deven your own Deputy did not understand \u200cthe nature of your condition is patently unacceptable,&#8221; wrote Chairman \u200dRep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) in a letter to Austin.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everything from on-going counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and\u200b control \u2063relies on a clear understanding of\u2064 the Secretary&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doctors-sue-california-for-threatening-to-punish-them-for-not-facilitating-assisted-suicide\/\" title=\"Doctors Sue California for Threatening to Punish Them for Not Facilitating Assisted Suicide\">decision-making capacity<\/a>. The Department is a robust institution, and it\u200c is designed to function under attack\u200c by our enemies, but it is not designed for a\u200c Secretary who conceals being incapacitated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Department of Defense (D0D) publicly admitted on Friday\u200b that Austin had been\u200b admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on\u200b January 1,\u200c leaving the\u2064 Pentagon press corps, Congress, White House officials, and\u2064 even some top DoD officials in the dark. It was later revealed that Hicks temporarily \u200cassumed some of Austin&#8217;s duties without being informed \u200dof his hospitalization, and the \u200dlate notification to \u2063the White House was attributed to Magsamen also being ill.<\/p>\n<p>Austin, in a statement over the weekend, acknowledged \u2062that \u2064he could have done\u200b a better job in keeping the public informed and took full responsibility for his\u200c decisions about disclosure.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The White House has ordered a review of Cabinet protocols, while the\u200d DoD \u200bhas announced its own\u2063 review of records\u2063 and communications to examine what happened \u200cinternally\u200d during Austin&#8217;s hospitalization and\u200c to \u2063make recommendations for improving timely \u2062notification to the White House, Congress, and the public. Some GOP lawmakers and former President Donald Trump have called for Austin to resign or be fired, and one House Republican has \u2063even announced a bid to \u200dimpeach him. Others, including Democrats, have expressed concerns and demanded more transparency.<\/p>\n<p>Despite \u200dthe controversy, White\u200b House officials have stated that President Joe Biden has &#8220;complete confidence&#8221;\u2064 in Austin and intends to keep him\u200c in his \u200bposition for the remainder of his term, \u2063although they acknowledge \u200dthat the lack\u200c of \u2062information \u200bfor such\u200b a long time is not ideal.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How\u2063 did the lack of awareness within \u2064the White House and the Department of Defense regarding Austin&#8217;s condition impact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-year-later-how-the-death-of-george-floyd-changed-5-american-institutions\/\" title=\"One Year Later: How The Death Of George Floyd Changed 5 American Institutions\u00a0\">decision-making processes<\/a> \u200cand potential\u2062 national security implications?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  R\u2063 the \u200bleadership of the \u200dSecretary of Defense. It is \u2063deeply concerning that \u2064there was a lack of \u200btransparency\u200c regarding Austin&#8217;s\u200c absence and hospitalization, as this has raised questions about\u200b the ability of the Department\u2062 of Defense to effectively carry out its duties in critical times.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The inquiry aims \u2064to \u200cshed\u200d light on the handling of Austin&#8217;s health condition,\u2064 the communication between the Department of Defense, the\u2062 White House, and Congress, and the potential impact on national security. The House panel \u2064is seeking answers from Austin, Hicks, and Magsamen to clarify the timeline of events, the level of \u2063awareness among key officials, and any potential \u2062gaps in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/listen-elon-musk-presses-robinhood-ceo-about-gamestop-fiasco-restricted-trading\/\" title=\"LISTEN: Elon Musk Presses Robinhood CEO About GameStop Fiasco, Restricted Trading\">decision-making process<\/a> \u2063during Austin&#8217;s absence.<\/p>\n<p>The revelation of\u200b Austin&#8217;s hospitalization has come as a \u2062surprise and concern to many, considering the crucial\u200c role he plays in national defense and the\u200c ongoing global security challenges. With \u2064conflicts in \u2063Ukraine and Israel, \u2064as well as other threats around the world, it is fundamental that there is clear and \u2062effective \u2063communication within\u200c the highest levels of government.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 House panel&#8217;s inquiry highlights the \u2064need for transparency \u200band accountability in\u200d matters of national security. It is essential that key officials, such as the Secretary\u2062 of Defense, are in good health \u2063and able\u2064 to perform their\u200c duties without interruption. This incident raises questions about the protocols and mechanisms in \u2064place to ensure the continuation of government functions in the event of a health \u2062issue affecting\u200d a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kim-jong-un-shows-off-ballistic-missiles-to-russian-defense-minister\/\" title=\"Kim Jong Un flaunts ballistic missiles to Russian Defense Minister.\">high-ranking \u200bofficial<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the\u200b inquiry seeks to\u2064 address the apparent lack of awareness within the \u200dWhite House and the Department of Defense regarding Austin&#8217;s condition. This \u2063raises concerns about the effectiveness of communication and coordination among key officials and institutions. \u200dIn times of crisis, it is \u200cimperative that there is a clear and accurate understanding of the decision-making capacity of the Secretary of \u2063Defense and the implications on national security.<\/p>\n<p>The House panel&#8217;s formal inquiry is a necessary step towards gaining a \u2063comprehensive \u2063understanding of the events \u2064surrounding Austin&#8217;s hospitalization and the subsequent handling\u200c of the situation by key \u2064officials and \u2064institutions. By conducting a thorough investigation, the committee aims to identify \u2062any shortcomings in the processes, protocols,\u2062 and communication channels in order to \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-gif-tiff-sparks-mandatory-anti-racism-training-at-cornell\/\" title=\"Kamala GIF Tiff Sparks Mandatory \u2018Anti-Racism\u2019 Training at Cornell\">prevent similar incidents<\/a> in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Transparency,\u2063 accountability, and effective communication are integral to \u200cthe successful functioning of the Department of Defense and the \u2063overall national\u200c security apparatus. \u200dThe House panel&#8217;s inquiry\u200c into the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd \u2063Austin is a significant step towards ensuring the\u2064 utmost efficiency, trust, and integrity in the leadership and decision-making processes\u200c that are essential for the protection\u200b of our nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The House panel launched a probe into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s undisclosed hospitalization, causing concern in Washington. The Armed Services Committee sent letters to Austin, his deputy Kathleen Hicks, and chief of staff Kelly Magsamen, seeking details about the recent events<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1588,"featured_media":2144981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2144980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2144980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2144980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2144980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2144981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2144980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2144980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2144980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}