White House institutes new rule in wake of Defense Secretary’s mystery absence

The White House is also conducting a review of each of the Cabinet agencies’ protocols in the event that someone needs to take over authority

Following the defence secretary’s previously undisclosed absence, the White House issued a new set of procedures to Cabinet members if their duties can’t be performed.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalisation arose from complications of a procedure for prostate cancer, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.

Hours earlier, the White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told Cabinet secretaries in a memo, obtained by the Associated Press, that if the Cabinet members need to re-delegate authority, they must notify his office and Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff.

Mr Zients added that the White House will be “conducting a review of agency protocols for a delegation of authority.” Each department is required to submit its current protocols by Friday 12 January to the Office of Cabinet Affairs, the memo added.

The memo was sent days after it was revealed that the defence secretary had been undergoing hospitalisation and was put under general anaesthesia — and apparently failed to notify President Joe Biden or his top aides.

Seemingly directly referring to the incident involving Mr Austin, whose surgery the memo noted, it said: “Agencies should ensure that delegations are issued when a Cabinet Member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.”

After the memo was sent on Tuesday, the Pentagon revealed that the defence secretary underwent a “minimally invasive medical procedure to treat and cure prostate cancer” on 22 December.

On 1 January, Mr Austin “began experiencing severe pain” and was taken to the ICU at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder. He emphasised that the defence secretary “was conscious but in quite a bit of pain.”

The following afternoon, based on medical advice, “certain authorities of the Secretary of Defense were transferred to the Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks,” the press secretary said. “The Secretary and Deputy Secretary’s staff as well as the Joint Staff were notified that the transfer had occurred through regular email notification procedures.”

On 6 January, Mr Austin issued a statement, claiming “full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.” He acknowledged “media concerns about transparency” and said he could have “done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.”