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CNN
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The Pentagon announced Sunday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with symptoms “suggestive of an emergent bladder condition” and administration officials were notified.
The Secretary of Defense’s prompt notification of Austin’s hospital visit (the first statement from the Pentagon was released within three hours) failed to notify the administration and the public about Austin’s previous hospitalization. This was done after approval.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that Austin was taken to the hospital by Guardsmen around 2:20 p.m. ET on Sunday. Austin is not hospitalized at this time.
The White House and Congress have been notified of the hospital visit, as has the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“We will provide an update on Secretary Austin’s condition as soon as possible,” Ryder said.
Ryder said Austin will continue in his role for now, but that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks is ready to take on the role if needed. Austin headed to the hospital with unclassified and classified communications systems needed for the mission.
Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and underwent surgery to treat the cancer on December 22nd. The surgery required general anesthesia and an overnight stay at Walter Reed Hospital.
He then returned to the hospital on New Year’s Day after suffering complications as a result of surgery.
Mr. Austin’s unannounced hospitalization was withheld from the media, President Joe Biden and other administration officials for days, raising major questions about transparency within the administration. Republicans have been highly critical of how the Pentagon responded to Austin’s illness, and the secretary of defense is scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee later this month about its failure to notify key government leaders. is.
Austin was hospitalized for two weeks and then continued his recovery, working from home for another two weeks.
On February 1st, at his first press conference since being hospitalized, Austin admitted that his response to the diagnosis and hospitalization was a mistake.
“We didn’t handle this right, and I didn’t handle this right. I should have told the president about the cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people. And I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and the American people,” Austin said.
Last week, the Office of the Secretary of Defense completed a 30-day review of the notification process for transfer of responsibility.
Rider said in a press conference Thursday that Austin has received the review letter and is reviewing it. Ryder also said that while much of the review is classified, the Pentagon intends to make as much of the review public as possible.
“We remain committed to being as transparent as possible regarding the review, and further information will be available once the Secretary’s review is complete,” Ryder said.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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