Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted that his staff, not him personally, made the decision in early January to transfer his authority to his deputy while he was hospitalized without informing the president.
Austin said his condition did not prevent the transfer, but that his staff could not reach him and he lacked secure communications.
“I did not. The decision was whether or not we, they had reached a point threshold where I could not communicate or have access to secure communications, and so that triggers the process –,” Austin said.
When questioned, Austin acknowledged his military aides initiated the process to transfer authority since he was inaccessible.
He blamed his staff for not properly informing the president of his hospitalization.
“So your condition was severe such that you could not personally action the transfer of authority?” Rep. Mike Gallagher said.
“The issue was number one, they could not get to me, but number two, it was access to secure communications. It had nothing to do with my physical condition at the time,” Austin said.
“And yet the decision was made. So who made the decision?” Gallagher asked.
“Well, as the, as my assistants conferred, they agreed that we had reached that threshold and they should put the process in place and they did and I think it was the right decision,” Austin said.
“So your military assistants made the decision to transfer authority to the Deputy Secretary of Defense?” Gallagher asked.
“The military aides made the decision to initiate the process,” Austin said.
“I’m not going to get into a specific timeline other than there was no gap,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
“In terms of the hospitalization, January 1 throughout, again, I was the patient. And so my expectation is that the organization informed the right agencies,” Austin said.
“So it wasn’t your fault, it was the staff’s fault?” Rep. Lisa McClain asked.
Austin said, “Well, I didn’t have access to any kind of communications during that time.”
“You didn’t have a phone? Nothing?” she asked. Austin said, “No.”
Several Republicans criticized Austin, saying the breakdown in informing the commander-in-chief presented an unacceptable gap in the chain of command that potentially put troops’ lives at risk.
Austin maintained there was no actual disruption to command and control.
“You said there was never a break in command and control. But yet the President of the United States was not aware that you are outside of the chain of command. So is the President not a part of this command and control. Don’t you believe that the commander in chief and the sector that is critical for command and control?” Rep. Elise Stefanik asked Austin.
Austin noted that Biden “is clearly at the top of the chain in terms of command and control,” but said, “what’s important is that we provide him with credible options, and that that he can pursue to address any situation and it would have happened in this case.”
“Except he was unaware. The President was unaware of this breakdown in command and control and you are not there in terms of who he would hear from,” Stefanik said.
