White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients has ordered a review of protocols to determine how cabinet officials delegate authority.
Zients also directed agencies to notify the Office of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff when a cabinet secretary delegates their duties.
The Pentagon is also conducting a 30-day review to see if any rules were violated.
“This review is going to help us get to ground truth in a holistic way, so that we can learn from it, importantly, but also ensure that we’re doing better next time,” said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Austin first learned of a prostate cancer diagnosis in early December and later underwent a minimally invasive surgery on Dec. 22.
On Jan. 1, he experienced a urinary tract infection that led to complications, requiring him to be transported to the hospital, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., via ambulance.
Austin had to transfer his authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on Jan. 2.
Austin spent time in the intensive care unit until Jan. 5, when he resumed full authority. He remains in a private area of the hospital as of Tuesday.
President Biden, Hicks and other key officials did not learn of the hospitalization until Jan. 4, raising transparency and national security concerns.
And Biden first heard of Austin’s cancer diagnosis on Tuesday.
“We’re all gonna learn a whole heck of a lot of lessons from this past week,” said White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby.
Congress is upset about the delayed notifications and lawmakers are pushing for answers.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, opened an investigation into the delays on Tuesday.
Rogers said the Pentagon “is not designed for a secretary who conceals being incapacitated.”
“With wars in Ukraine and Israel,” Rogers wrote in a letter to Austin, “the idea that the White House and even your own deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
