United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan at the Rayburn House Office Building in Capitol Hill on September 29, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Olivier Douliéry | afp | fake images
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains hospitalized on doctors' advice but is “actively engaged and engaged,” according to national security spokesman John Kirby.
Appearing on CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Kirby said Austin was involved in discussions about planning attacks against Iran-allied Houthi militants in Yemen several days ago.
“It's also important for people to remember that Cabinet officials don't have to sit down and talk every day to make every decision,” Kirby said. “Much of the work done in national security is done at the staff level.”
Austin has been treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Jan. 1, following complications from surgery nearly two weeks earlier to treat prostate cancer. Kirby said Sunday that physical therapy is part of the reason doctors kept Austin in the hospital.
The Pentagon's failure to disclose Austin's hospital admission to the White House or the public has sparked controversy, although President Joe Biden supports Austin.
For two days, Pentagon officials also failed to tell Austin's second-in-command that he transferred his authority to her while she was in the intensive care unit.
“The Pentagon is looking into this and we'll see what comes of it, but that's not the way the process is supposed to work,” Kirby said.
