WASHINGTON: The White House is launching a protocols’ review for how Cabinet officials delegate authority after hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Chief of staff Jeff Zients in a memo to Cabinet secretaries on Tuesday said agencies would be required to notify the Office of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff in the event they need to delegate their duties.
The memo calls for agencies to submit their protocols for delegation by Friday.
Zients said the protocols should address how Cabinet secretaries will delegate their duties when traveling to areas with restricted communication, during a hospitalization, or when undergoing a medical procedure.
The Pentagon revealed that Austin had been hospitalized since last Monday. Biden, wasn’t told about the development until Thursday afternoon, as the Department of Defense tried to keep the matter internal.
Earlier, the White House said Biden had no plans to remove Austin but that it is reviewing protocols and procedures.
Separately, the Pentagon has ordered a review to determine the circumstances of Austin’s hospitalization and the transfer of power to the deputy Defense Secretary, Kathleen Hicks.
Lloyd Austin being treated for prostate cancer
Meanwhile, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in a said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is being treated for prostate cancer.
The statement said that the cancer was discovered in early December. He underwent an invasive surgical procedure on December 22 to treat the cancer.
It said Secretary Austin recovered from his surgery and returned home the next morning. According to the treatment his prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent.
Former President Donald Trump, who is Biden’s expected Republican challenger in the 2024 election, said Austin should be removed for his non-professional conduct.
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Trump on social media said that Austin has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Joe Biden, had a clue about his whereabouts.
Austin comes just below Biden in the chain of command of the US military and his duties require his availability at a moment’s notice to respond to any matter of national security crisis.
