House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) requested Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to appear before the committee for questioning.
Austin, 70, was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center beginning Jan. 1 following a Dec. 22 surgery to treat his prostate cancer. A subsequent urinary tract infection kept him under close watch by doctors until his release Monday.
“When you and I last spoke, you promised full transparency into questions regarding the secrecy of your recent hospitalization. While you did respond to some of my questions I had for you, a concerning number of questions were not addressed,” Rogers wrote in a Thursday letter.
Rogers listed several questions for Austin to review and answer by Feb. 7, ahead of the hearing Rogers scheduled for Feb. 14.
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“This is a time of immense global instability. Our country deserves reliable leadership at the Department. Maintaining the most ready and lethal force possible requires that everyone in the national security community be able to rely upon the Secretary of Defense’s availability and transparency,” Rogers wrote. “Regrettably, you have not exhibited these attributes throughout this most recent string of events.”
While Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks briefly took over the role, Austin continued his duties on Jan. 5. This included the decision to strike the Yemen-based, Iranian-supported Houthis after they launched 27 attacks on commercial vessels.
