Pentagon offers new details on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization, ICU stay

WASHINGTON − The elective medical procedure that led to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret stay in intensive care took place on Dec. 22, and complications set in more than a week later that required emergency medical personnel to take him to the hospital in an ambulance, Defense Department officials said.

Austin began experiencing "severe pain" on Jan. 1 and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.

Austin's immediate medical needs required a stay in the ICU, where he remained for four days “due to hospital space considerations and privacy,” Ryder said.

The details are significant as the Pentagon and the Biden administration work to contain the fallout from unanswered questions about who was in charge of national security issues as the medical problems unfolded. Austin passed authority to his deputy last week without telling her that he had been hospitalized with a serious medical condition, according to senior administration officials.

On Jan. 2, Austin, due to his condition and on advice of doctors, transferred some of his authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. However, neither Hicks nor Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security advisor knew until Jan. 4 that Austin had been hospitalized in intensive care. The delay, Ryder said, was because Austin’s chief of staff was out sick with the flu.

“We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures, to include White House and congressional notifications,” Ryder said.

Austin remained Monday at Walter Reed and is recovering from his still-undisclosed illness. Austin “continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good,” Ryder said. It’s not clear when he will be discharged.

Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, acknowledged that he knew Jan. 2 that Austin had been hospitalized but chose not to inform the public. It wasn’t until late on Friday, Jan. 5 that the Pentagon released its first statement about  Austin’s illness. Ryder had held a press briefing on Jan. 4 but did not mention it.

“I recognize that I should have tried to learn more and to press for an earlier public acknowledgement,” Ryder said. “So I offer my apologies and my pledge to learn from this experience.”

More: Why Lloyd Austin's secrecy about his hospital stay undercuts a top Biden campaign message

Still in the hospital, access to secure communication

Austin has access to required secure communications and continues to monitor the Pentagon’s day-to-day operations worldwide, Ryder said. Austin is in good spirits and is in contact with other senior officials, Ryder said.

The lack of candor about Austin's medical condition and hospitalization has drawn bipartisan criticism.

The Pentagon did not announce Austin's hospitalization until Friday, four days after he was admitted. Austin himself did not inform the No. 2 official at the Pentagon, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, that he was in the hospital for days. She eventually informed members of Congress. The failure of Austin and the Pentagon to disclose Austin's serious illness to Congress and the public is a breach of the norms for senior officials.

More: Why was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hospitalized? Why is he facing backlash? What to know

The White House is facing questions about Austin's future and whether he failed to follow rules and procedures by not immediately disclosing his hospitalization.

Asked Monday whether President Joe Biden was considering firing Austin, White House spokesman John Kirby said Biden values Austin's advice and leadership and looks forward to having him back on the job.

"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job," Kirby said.

There is an “expectation” that when a Cabinet member is hospitalized, the information will be disclosed “up the chain of command,” Kirby said.

Kirby said the focus right now is on Austin’s health and making sure he gets the care and support he needs to recover. But Kirby said he expects the White House to review its rules and procedures “to try to learn from this experience.”

“If there are some changes that need to be made in terms of process and procedure, we’ll do that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chair and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee released a statement Sunday calling on the Pentagon to release more information about Austin's condition.

“While we wish Sec. Austin a speedy recovery, we are concerned with how the disclosure of the Secretary’s condition was handled," Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of Armed Services Committee and the ranking Democrat, Adam Smith, said in a statement. "Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the secretary’s current health status is, how and when the delegation of the secretary’s responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress.

“Transparency is vitally important. Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.”

More: Questions raised about Pentagon's delay in reporting Lloyd Austin's hospitalization

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lloyd Austin hospitalization scandal: New details from Pentagon