The House of Representatives has approved a new legislation that requires agencies led by members of the National Security Council to immediately inform the White House and Congress if their leaders become incapacitated. This decision comes in response to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s previously secretive hospitalization earlier this year.
Austin was rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 1 due to complications from a treatment he had received for prostate cancer in December. Surprisingly, the White House was not notified of Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, while Congress and the public were left unaware until Jan. 5.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), the bill’s sponsor, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency during critical times for national security. Austin has since apologized for the way he handled his cancer diagnosis and initial hospitalization, with the White House instituting new policies to prevent such issues in the future.
Despite the incident, defense officials assured there was no disruption in the chain of command during Austin’s hospital stay. A subsequent hospitalization on Feb. 11 for a bladder issue saw a much quicker notification to Congress, the White House, and the public, indicating a more efficient response compared to the previous incident.
An investigation by the Department of Defense concluded that Austin’s actions were not done with malicious intent or an effort to hide information.
