Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) called for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s resignation Wednesday, becoming the first Democrat to publicly support the removal of the Pentagon leader for a hospitalization scandal that has engulfed the Biden administration.
Deluzio, who represents the only swing district in Pennsylvania and is in a competitive race to hold his seat this year, said he “lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership,” joining criticism of the secretary for failing to quickly notify key officials when he was first hospitalized in late December.
“I have a solemn duty in Congress to conduct oversight of the Defense Department through my service on the House Armed Services Committee,” Deluzio said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “That duty today requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign.”
Other Democrats have raised questions about Austin’s hospitalization, but have yet to call for the secretary’s resignation.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), House Democratic Caucus chair, expressed concerns this week with Austin’s lack of transparency, but also seemed to support the notion of keeping the secretary in place.
“The House Democratic Caucus wishes Secretary Austin well in his recovery, but clearly there are some things that could have been done better,” Aguilar told reporters Wednesday at the Capitol. “We hope that they acknowledge that. And we’re willing to move forward.”
Several Republicans have accused Austin of dereliction of duty and are calling for his ouster, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), House Republican Conference chair.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), House Armed Services Committee chair, launched an investigation Tuesday into Austin’s hospitalization and the concerns about notifying officials of his absence.
Austin, who has prostate cancer, first learned of the cancer diagnosis in early December and had a related surgery on Dec. 22.
On Jan. 1, Austin struggled with a urinary tract infection related to the surgery and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit. President Biden and the White House did not learn of his hospitalization until Jan. 4.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who assumed command of the Pentagon from Jan. 2 to Jan. 5, also did not learn of his hospitalization until Jan. 4.
Austin, who is recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has acknowledged the concerns around transparency and pledged to improve, as has the Pentagon, which is conducting a review of the incident.
Biden is standing by Austin and maintains confidence in him, according to the White House.
The White House ordered a protocol review Tuesday on how cabinet secretaries delegate authority and directed agencies to notify the Office of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff when a cabinet secretary delegates their duties.
The Hill’s Michael Lillis contributed to this report.