Rep. Chris Deluzio becomes first Democrat in Congress to call for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s resignation over hiding cancer surgery

WASHINGTON – Rep. Chris Deluzio became the first Democrat in Congress to openly call for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s resignation Wednesday after the Biden cabinet member hid his surgery to treat prostate cancer from the White House and his subordinates.

“I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command,” Deluzio (D-Pa.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and an Iraq War veteran, said in a statement.

Austin, who has held his office throughout the Biden administration, failed to communicate that he would be unable to fulfill his duties after he was hospitalized Jan. 1 with a urinary tract infection following a Dec. 22 prostatectomy.

Austin, 70, was rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with “severe abdominal, hip and leg pain” late on New Year’s Day, his doctor’s announced Tuesday.

The defense secretary ultimately transferred his duties while incapacitated to deputy secretary Kathleen Hicks – who did not learn of Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, while she was vacationing in Puerto Rico, according to the Pentagon.

The White House and the public were not told of Austin’s hospitalization until the evening of Jan. 5.

But it would be another four days before the secretary disclosed his diagnosis to the president, the public – and even his colleagues at the Pentagon.

Before then, Austin’s hospital stay was put down only to complications from an “elective surgery.”

“I have a solemn duty in Congress to conduct oversight of the Defense Department through my service on the House Armed Services Committee,” Deluzio added.

“That duty today requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign. I thank Secretary Austin for his leadership and years of dedicated service to the American people and wish him a speedy recovery.”

Austin remained hospitalized Wednesday, but was in good condition and working from his bed, according to Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

“He’s in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD’s day-to-day operations worldwide,” Ryder added.

For example, both US Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. gave Austin “an operational update” as the Pentagon keeps tabs on the wars in Ukraine and Israel, said Ryder, adding that it was not yet clear when Austin would be released from Walter Reed.

While the Biden administration has said it does not have plans to fire Austin, Deluzio and Republican lawmakers are calling for the secretary’s resignation over his perplexing decision not to call in sick.

The incident also shook the faith of some defense officials, who expressed shock over Austin’s failure to notify his colleagues – particularly given his decades of military service.

Austin, who spent more than 40 years in the Army, should be well-versed in alerting his chain-of-command of emergencies.

The HASC on Tuesday launched a congressional inquiry into the ordeal, asking nine questions seeking more information about Austin’s interactions with officials since Jan. 1, including records of “all other periods” where another person assumed his duties “that coincided with medical procedures or other medical activities.”

“With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable,” Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) wrote in the inquiry letter to Austin.

“Everything from on-going counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding of the secretary’s decision-making capacity.”

“The department is a robust institution, and it is designed to function under attack by our enemies, but it is not designed for a Secretary who conceals being incapacitated,” Rogers added.

Other Republicans – including former President Donald Trump – called for Austin’s removal from office almost immediately after the revelation came to light.

The GOP presidential front-runner saying the Pentagon chief “should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty.”