Attorney General Merrick Garland resumes work after undergoing ‘minimally invasive lower back surgery’

CNN
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Attorney General Merrick Garland resumed his duties Saturday after undergoing “minimally invasive lower back surgery,” according to a Justice Department spokesperson.

“The attorney general’s proceedings are progressing smoothly and he is recuperating at home. He has resumed his duties,” Justice Department Public Affairs Director Xochitl Hinojosa said in an email.

Ahead of the proceeding, the Justice Department said Garland would be under anesthesia for “approximately 90 minutes,” while Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco would serve “immediately before, during, and for a short period after the proceeding.” did. Allows recovery from general anesthesia. ”

This comes after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent hospitalization was not disclosed to the media, President Joe Biden or other senior administration officials for days.

The Secretary of Defense returned to work at the Pentagon on Monday. He was hospitalized on New Year’s Day due to complications from prostate cancer surgery in late December.

Austin’s unannounced hospitalization raised major questions about transparency and communication within the Biden administration. Last month, the White House reviewed federal agencies’ plans for “delegation” when Cabinet members are unable to perform their duties, and released new guidelines for notifying agencies of major absences.

Additionally, Austin’s chief of staff has been in charge of the Department of Defense’s procedures for notifying senior national security leaders and the White House when a transfer of authority from the Secretary of Defense to the Deputy Secretary of Defense is necessary, which was required during Austin’s hospitalization. I was given a 30-day period to review it. The Pentagon Inspector General has also launched a separate investigation into whether the Pentagon has appropriate policies in place to ensure the effective transfer of powers and missions.

CNN’s Oren Lieberman and Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report.