Secrecy around Austin’s hospitalization raises questions
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress and Pentagon leaders were unaware for days that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since Monday, US officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it.
And it remained unclear when the White House and other key US officials were told about his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was, and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice with the president and other senior US officials and Cabinet members.
Austin, 70, remained hospitalized due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, as it became clear how closely the Pentagon held information about his stay at Walter Reed.
Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were notified about Austin’s hospitalization, but he would not say when that happened.
A number of US officials said Saturday that many of the most senior Pentagon service leaders were unaware until Friday that Austin was in the hospital. Officials said President Biden and senior White House staff were told, but the officials would not specify when. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Ryder said members of Congress were told late Friday afternoon, and other officials said lawmakers were informed after 5 p.m. It was not clear when key senior members of
Austin’s staff were told, but across the Pentagon, many staff found out when the department released a statement about Austin’s hospital stay just minutes after 5 p.m. Many believed Austin was out on vacation for the week.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who took over when Austin was hospitalized, was also away. A US official said she had a communications setup with her in Puerto Rico that allowed her to do the job while Austin, who spent 41 years in the military and retired as a four-star Army general in 2016, was incapacitated.
Ryder said Saturday that Austin is recovering well and resumed his full duties Friday evening from his hospital bed. Asked why the hospital stay was kept secret for so long, Ryder said on Friday that it was an “evolving situation,” and that due to privacy and medical issues, the Pentagon did not make Austin’s absence public. Ryder declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.
The White House has refused to say when or how it had been notified of Austin’s hospitalization. It referred questions to the Pentagon.
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest on Friday evening to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.
“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decisionmaking ability of its top defense leader.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
State of the Union address is set for March 7
WASHINGTON — President Biden will give his annual State of the Union address on March 7.
In a letter sent to the White House on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, extended the formal invitation for Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress. Johnson said he was inviting Biden “in this moment of great challenge for our country.” On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Biden accepted. “Looking forward to it, Mr. Speaker,” the president said.
This will be the first State of the Union for Johnson as speaker, who traditionally sits behind the president and to his left during the address to Congress. This year’s speech will offer an opportunity for Biden to detail his broader vision and policy priorities as he campaigns for reelection in November.
Notably, Biden’s address is scheduled for after a pair of critical deadlines to avert a government shutdown.
Funding for federal agencies that oversee programs for veterans, and on transportation, housing, agriculture, and energy, is set to expire Jan. 19. Funding for the rest of the federal government, including the Pentagon, State Department, and Homeland Security, will run out Feb. 2.
The annual address from the president to Congress is usually scheduled for late January or February.
Biden’s March 7 address would be the latest that a president has delivered the State of the Union since 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt revived the practice of giving the annual speech in person. Before this year, the latest that a State of the Union had been given was in 2022, when Biden delivered it on March 1 of that year, according to the Congressional Research Service.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trans woman dropped from race over omitted name
A transgender woman was disqualified from a race for the Ohio House of Representatives after she did not include her previous name in election materials, raising the prospect that transgender candidates would face similar barriers elsewhere.
Vanessa Joy, a real estate photographer running as a Democrat in Ohio’s 50th District, was informed in a letter from the Stark County Board of Elections on Tuesday that she had been disqualified from the state House race.
The board cited a state law that requires a person running for office to list on the candidacy petition any name changes within five years of an election, and it gave Joy until Friday afternoon to appeal.
Joy, who hopes to be among the first openly transgender elected officials in Ohio, said that she had appealed the board’s decision and planned to challenge the law in court.
“Had I known this law existed, I likely would have bit the bullet and put my deadname next to my legal name,” she said, using a term for a transgender person’s birth name.
“I would have done it because I care enough to get on the ballot, but this will be a huge barrier to entry for transgender people,” she said, adding that many transgender people have their birth names sealed out of concern for their safety.
Joy noted in her appeal letter that Ohio’s candidate guide made no mention of the law and that the county elections board had not raised any concerns when she submitted the dozens of signatures required to secure a place on the ballot.
She also argued that the law had been “applied unevenly.” At least two other transgender legislative candidates will appear on ballots in Ohio this year despite not having included prior names in their election paperwork, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a national organization that supports LGBTQ candidates. The organization said it was not clear if those candidates changed their names within the last five years.
Melanie Amato, a spokesperson for the Ohio secretary of state, said the office was aware of the disqualification.
“The law applies to everyone and there is no discussion to have this law amended at this time,” Amato said in an email.