The U.S. Department of Defense is currently under scrutiny due to allegations against Secretary Lloyd Austin's conduct during his health crises.
According to Breitbart, a recently released Inspector General report accuses Secretary Austin of violating the Federal Vacancies Reform Act by not informing the required authorities about his medical incapacitations, raising concerns about national security during his absences.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin allegedly failed to comply with legal protocols during his several hospital stays, which were not disclosed to other branches of the government or the White House.
The Inspector General's report, published towards the end of President Joe Biden's administration, particularly criticized the handling of these events, claiming that at critical points, proper notification was not delivered to ensure a stable transition of command.
During the time Secretary Austin was hospitalized, including a significant period in early January 2024 following elective surgery, Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks was left to act as the Secretary of Defense without official confirmation or awareness of her acting status.
This occurred twice in December 2023 and again in January and June 2024. According to the report, there were delays in transferring authority from Secretary Austin to Deputy Secretary Hicks during these periods.
Further complicating matters, the report revealed that no formal authority transfer took place until hours after Secretary Austin was hospitalized again in February 2024 due to serious complications. This delay raised alarms among lawmakers about the potential ramifications for national security, particularly concerning the management of America's nuclear capabilities.
The Republican senators, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, expressed their concerns in a stern letter to President Biden. They emphasized the gravity of the situation given the unstable global political climate, which included heightened threats from Russia, China, and Iran-backed groups, as well as the lingering effects of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Senators in their letter highlighted, "For days in December, January, and June, no one in Congress or your administration knew that Secretary Austin was unable to perform the functions and duties of the Secretary, or that Deputy Secretary Hicks was the acting Secretary." They stressed the critical nature of these oversight failures, particularly the risks to the management of nuclear football.
In response to the allegations, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon defended the department's actions. Pahon argued that the necessary notifications were indeed made per the law, thereby disputing the conclusions drawn by the Inspector General's Office about violations of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
The senators' letter starkly framed the potential consequences of the oversight, stating, "It is incredibly fortunate that no major national security crisis occurred while Secretary Austin was incapacitated, however, the [Office of Inspector General] report itself recognizes that if a crisis had occurred in that time frame, the outcome could have been disastrous for our nation."
Despite the Pentagon's defense and the acknowledged absence of direct adverse outcomes from the mishandling, the senators demanded that President Biden enforce accountability.
They insisted on rectifying what they deemed as severe lapses in leadership and protocol, crucial for maintaining national security under all circumstances, as emphasized by Inspector General Robert P. Storch in his statement.
The findings of the Inspector General and the ensuing demands from Senate Republicans cast a spotlight on the importance of stringent adherence to legal and procedural statutes within the highest levels of the U.S. military command, particularly in times of personal health crises of its leaders. These events underscore the perpetual need for clear lines of authority and planning to safeguard national security interests at all times.
