Staff Reports
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) has demanded Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to explain himself after his recent hospitalization. Austin, 70, had been laid up at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since January following a surgery for prostate cancer and a pesky urinary tract infection.
Rogers, not one to beat around the bush, wrote a letter to Austin expressing his deep concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the Defense Secretary’s health saga. He even set a deadline for Austin to respond to his laundry list of questions, requesting answers by February 7. And if that wasn’t enough, he even scheduled a good old grilling session for February 14. Valentine’s Day with the Defense Secretary? Count Rogers in!
Lloyd Austin called to testify on failure to disclose hospitalization https://t.co/GdvhFR27nO via @dcexaminer
— Tie Swindell (@mirtropolis) January 19, 2024
In his letter, Rogers made it clear that he believes the Secretary’s secretive hospital stint came at a time when the world is basically falling apart. With global shenanigans going down left and right, Rogers wants a leader who’s ready to rally the troops at a moment’s notice. And in his opinion, Austin’s recent disappearing act didn’t quite cut the mustard.
While Austin was on sick leave, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks stepped up to the plate for a hot minute. But don’t be fooled, Austin made sure to call the shots when the time came. In fact, he even gave the green light to give those pesky Yemen-based, Iranian-supported Houthis a taste of their own medicine after they decided to play pirate with some commercial vessels. Ah, nothing like a good old-fashioned military strike to liven things up, right?
Anyway, it looks like Rogers isn’t quite finished having his way with Austin. Knowing Mike, he’s probably already prepping his questions and sharpening his wit for that Valentine’s Day showdown. You better believe it’s going to be a real heart-warmer!
