The Pentagon says the defense chief is being treated for “symptoms suggesting an emerging bladder problem.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized for the second time in a month, the Pentagon announced, following a previous hospital stay that drew criticism for a lack of transparency.
Austin, who underwent treatment for prostate cancer last year, was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for “symptoms suggestive of an emerging bladder problem,” the Pentagon said in a statement Sunday.
Austin, 70, “transferred the functions and duties of the position” to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, according to the statement.
Austin's hospitalization comes after he faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for not disclosing his cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospital stays to President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy for weeks.
Austin, whose absences coincided with security crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, apologized earlier this month for not being more transparent about his health issues.
“I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis,” he told reporters on February 1.
Biden has rejected calls to fire Austin despite agreeing that the defense chief made an error in judgment.
Austin, a former four-star general who led troops in Iraq, was hospitalized Jan. 1 after suffering complications from cancer surgery he underwent a week earlier.
He remained in the hospital for two weeks and worked from home for another two weeks as he continued his recovery.
Austin's handling of the situation is the subject of three investigations, including one by the Pentagon Inspector General's office.
Austin was scheduled to travel to Brussels on Tuesday for a meeting of an alliance established to coordinate military support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
It was not immediately clear if Austin's trip would take place following his hospitalization.
