House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he thinks Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin should not resign following a scandal about the transparency behind his recent hospitalization.
Austin underwent surgery for prostate cancer in a Dec. 22 hospital visit that was kept secret from the White House. On Jan. 1, he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications, a visit he also kept secret for days.
“From my standpoint we need far more information before I can make any detailed comment on the appropriate comment on the ways forward. But I do not believe Secretary Austin should resign,” Jeffries said at a press conference Thursday.
Jeffries said his thoughts and prayers are with Austin, a man who “served his country for decades.” He said he is hopeful the secretary makes a “full, complete and speedy recovery.”
The New York lawmaker said he looks forward to being briefed by the Biden administration “in terms of protocols they may put in place moving forward to ensure that information flow within the administration and between the administration and Congress is more expeditious and to also make sure that there are plans in place in terms of the chain of command” when a cabinet member is temporarily unable to perform their role.
No comments:
Post a Comment