House Armed Services committee on cspan three. Is the hearing will come to order. We wish you a full and speedy recovery. We understand that you are recovering and sitting for to long, and sitting is not good for your health. We agreed to your request to limit your appearance today to two hours. To get to as many questions as possible, unanimous consent to reduce comment to four minutes. So ordered. If we cannot get to you today, please submits your questions for the record and the secretary has sured us that hell get answers to that in a timely fashion. The secretary will be in about a month to testify again. So youll have another opportunity to at that time. Mr. Secretary, the reason that weve asked you here today is not to discuss your health. Year here to determine why the president was not immediately informed of your incapacitation. The timeline as we understood it is this, on the evening of january 1st, secretary austin was transported to the hospital via ambulance for complications from a surgical procedure he had on december 22nd. On the afternoon of january 2nd, the seconds authorities were transferred to deputy secretary hicks without her being informed as to why. On january 4th, three days of hospital, deputy hick and the president were informed that secretary austin was in the hospital. January 5th, congress is informed of the secretarys hospitalization. It is totally unacceptable that it took three days to inform the president of the United States that the secretary was not in the hospital and not in pentagon. Wars are raging in ukraine and israel, our ships were under fire in the red sea and our bases were abracing for attacks in syria and iraq. But the president did not know that the secretary of defense was out of action. The deputy secretary, the person to whom your power was transferred did not know that you were in the hospital. Our forces conducted a preauthorized strike on iran backed ma militia. If something wave bon would have happened, the president would have had to try to find the secretary of defense. The work does not know when the commander in chief does not know who to call. We want to know who made the decision top with hold the information from the president . Although you publicly stated you are solely responsible, you also informed this committee it wasnt you who decided to with hold the information from the president. We were led to believe that your 30internal review would shed light on that matter. But it includes no explanation of why the president and his staff were left in the dark. It makes no recommendations to improve communications with the white house. Unsurprisingly it holds nobody accountable. We appreciate your desire to protect your subordinates. But it is important in democracy that Public Officials are held accountable when mistakes are made. This administrations that gone to Great Lengths to avoid have accountability. This is a matter of National Security. And someone needs to it be held accounted. I find is concerning that the secretary could be hospitalized in three days without anyone in the administration noticing that suggested that secretary austins advice is not sought or heated in the white house while military operations were ongoing in the middle east. It implies that the white house palestinians, not season professionals are in the drivers cease on matter of National Security. That is disturbing. Findly beyond the immediate need, congress has a right to know of secretary absence or transfer of authority. None of this had not come to the attention if the white house would no interest come clean. Our goal is to understand how and why this happened so we can ensure it never happens again. With that i yield to any friend and colleague the Ranking Member. Secretary will be back and hell be here for the full Posture Hearing that will go on considerably longer than two hours. That i do appreciate from the department of defense. This is an opportunity to address an important issue. I agree with much of what the chairman said. I think that the lack of transparency what was going on and certainly with the white house, but with congress and others, should not be repeated. We need clearer and more transparent information what is going on at the pentagon. I want to disagree with one thing the chairman said during the time period that the commander and chief didnt know who to call. He did. The transfer of power was made. It was made to the deputy secretary. And if that had anything had come up, that the way the system works. When the secretary of defense is out of competition for any reason, the deputy secretary assumes the responsibilities and roles. That was made clear throughout the pentagon and the white house. The reason behind it was not. And that is why the lack of transparency is problematic. We need to understand the importance of the role of the secretary of defense and responding directly to the commander and chief. The commander and chief should have all the broad range of information about what is going on with the pentagon. Again, in the sense there was no question who was in charge at that time, the transfer was done. In accordance with the law and done appropriately. I think it is appropriate that we have this hearing and we have this discussion, that we hear directly from the secretary. I thank the secretary willing to be here and take the questions. I want to emphasize that through the this whole process a complex threat environment. That is one thing that the committee absolutely everybody agrees few to. There are few times in his their that we face the challenges that we face right now, the war in ukraine, the war in middle east, the challenges that china continues to present and north korea as well. Throughout the whole time, there is no allegation that the department of defense was not on top of the situations. There was no instance that they were not doing their job to the up most of their ability and the defense of this country. And the coalition of secretary austin has been responsible to put together to stop putin in ukraine has been effective. And that is a testimony to secretary austins leadership and the way the department of defense has been run on a day in and day out basis. I would be remiss if i did not point out that 2 would be helpful that the United States house of representatives would allow a vote on the much needed aid for ukraine and the middle east and to pass the appropriations bill that the department of defense could desperately use to better carry out that job. There is no doubt that the coalition that has been built is successful. Two years ago when the war started, everyone assumed that ukraine would be done in a month. Two years later, they are hire and sovereign because of the bravery of the ukrainian people and the coalition came to help protect them, that the secretary has left. In the middle east, we have stopped the war from spreading. They are proving to to be a much larger challenge. We have built a coalition to start that challenge. If we look at what happened while the secretary was in hospital, the lack of transparency needs to be improved, lets not lose track of what it is doing right now to meet the secretary challenges that we face. With that, i yield back. Mr. Secretary, you are recognized for any Opening Statements that you may have. Thank you in the. Im grateful for the in the for the continued support for the department of defense and our outstanding troops. The u. S. Military is the most powerful fighting force in human history. With your help, well keep it that way with the department is deeply focused on meeting the pacing challenge from the peoples republic of china on making the middle east more secure after the october 7th terrorist assault on israel and enshushing that ukraine can continue to defend itself. So were focused on the defense of our nation. But i know that congress has legitimate concerns about what issues around my illness. So let me start by thanking all those that offered my well wishes after my recent Cancer Treatment and hospital state. I very much appreciate your kind words and i received world class medical care at walter reed. I want to thank my doctors and the outstanding nursing staff. They expect me to be completely cured of my Prostate Cancer that was caught early. I continue to recover. And now i one to be very clear. There was never any lapse in authority or command and control. At all times i or the deputy secretary was in a position to conduct the duties of my office. We did have a breakdown in notifications concerning my january stay at walter reed. That is sharing my location and why i was there. In december, i should have promptly informed the president and the American People of my cancer diagnosis and treatment. We did not handle this right and i did not handle it right. I have apologized, even directly to the president. A take full responsibility. Ive taking changes to make sure it does not happen again. The system must be postured better it make the appropriate informations and my staff must be ready to carryall of this out. Let me be clear. I never intended to keep my hospitalization from the white house or from anybody else. That is why we immediately instituted changes to the way that the authorities can be temporarily to my deputy and to a way that the notifications get made. It is why we conducted a 30day review of the entire process. Because the review deals with the continuity of violations. They wrote it as classified p but we share the review with all of you. The third day review made eight recommendations to me and i directed that all eight be implemented. We put two in place already and were moving quick will be the other six. Let me summarize them. We made clear that we expect full information sharing with the deputy or another designated official assumes of functions and duties as acting secretary. We issued guidelines for clear information sharing between my staff and the deputy secretarys staff if the scenarios arrive. And well ensure that the Department Officials in the order of succession are supported for the relevant processes. Were moving quickly to develop a mandatory reporting protocol for me or the deputy secretary. Of course, we already have continuity of Operations Plans in place and well continue top review those plan as appropriate. Even before the 30day review, we had made some changes in. In the future of deputy secretary would assume the deputies of my office, she and several White House Offices will be closed, including its white house situation room and the white house chief of staff. Key officials across the department will also be notify it had, including the deputy secretary the joint chiefs and the general council. It will be included in writing. You saw the new procedures in action during any hospitalization during this month. The dod Inspector General is still working on his independent review that we fully support. Now, before i take your questions, i want to make one thing very clear. At no time during my treatment or recovery were there any gaps in authority and no ridge of to the command and control. I fully participated in the National Security decision makes on events in the middle east and military operations in selfdefense to protect our troops and our facilities over there. Again, were moving swiftly to put some helpful new procedures in place to prevent any lapses in notification. I am confident that well not experience the same issues in the future. So let me again thank you for. Opportunity to be here today and for everything that this committee does to support and stand by the mission and the people of department of defense, including their families. I know you understand this. But one of the best things that you can do to support them is to pass a full year appropriation. In doing so it will ensure that our troops get paid and our civilian employees can stay on the job and we can continue to procure the best capabilities of our country. We need the flexibility and stability that the appropriations provide. I appreciate your leadership on the score. And i stand ready to assist you in any way. With that, ill be glad to take your questions. Thank you, mr. Secretary. This is the gentleman of indiana mr. Banks. Mr. Secretary, at what point during your hospital stay did you or your staff decide that the president should know about your hospitalization . As i understand, my chief of staff contacted the National Security advisor and advised him i was hospitalized on the fourth of january. At what during your stay was the fourth of january . Im sorry. How long into your stay was that . As been pointed out earlier days after you were hospitalized . Right. Yes or no. Did you tell your staff not to the inform the president , anyone on your staff . I never told anyone not to inform the president , the white house or anyone else about my hospitalization. So the 30 day review summary lays a lot of blame at the feet of your staff. It seems that would appear, correct, for the break down in the process . You told us that you were responsible. But the 30day review seems to blame your staff. The 30day review pointed out that there were some missteps. One year ago you told me in this hearing room you had no regrets of what happened in afghanistan. Do you regret what happened here . I said the transfer of authority was who be held accountable for this, this embarrassment . I take full responsibility and we put measures in place to address the shortcomings. Are you surprised that the president did not call for your resignation . Im surprised. But are you surprised that did not call for your resignation . Is it typical that the president would go three days without talking to his second of defense . Is that typical or a regular posture . Do you usually goes days without talking to the commander and chief . It can happen. It depends if the president is on travel or im on travel. There are days that we go without direct communication. Either the president is that aloof or youre irrelevant . Which one is it . Either. The president would go three days that the secretary of defense is not the job . It is neither. The president is not aloof. I participate in all of the Decision Making. On january 2nd. , President Biden was vacationing in the caribbean. Your deputy was on a beach in puerto rico. What kind of message does that send to our adversariries . The key piece the deputy has the ability to she has access to secure communications. She has the abuyability the ability to communicate. The leading chinese propaganda what happened to you exposed, quote, internal chaos. A leading russian propaganda outlet said that your disappearance quote, affect pitchily compromised the United States. Youve embarrassed us. Your time is up. It is not remotely surprising to me that the chinese and the russians are not going to say anything positive about us. That does not surprise me. They seize on anything opportunity to do that. It is routine that the deputy will be in places where are places that you cannot be. That authority will be transferred. How often does it happen that you are in a place that you cannot do you cannot be as responsive as you need to be so you pass the authority on to your deputy secretary . As pointed out in the 30day review, there have been a number much times in the past where we transferred authorities because of my inability to have access to secure communications. And once i had the ability to have access again to secure communications, that was transferred back. So the number of times that thats happen is outlined in the review. Just to emphasize, was there anytime during this process in the first days of january, when you were in the hospital, anytime whatsoever, when the deputy secretary was not in a position to fully carry out the responsibilities of the secretary of defense, regardless if she was in puerto rico or mexico or maralago, wherever, she was in a position to carry out all of the authorities that she had as the accounting secretary of defense in that instance, correct . She is legally and logistically to assume the positions. And she was in a right to support the president as to make decisions. She always has secure communications with him like me. And she has the Situational Awareness that is needed to be to be able to make effective recommendations to the president. And she working with chairman of the joint chiefs and the commander would propose options for the president in any situation. Certainly. One thing i want to emphasize as the hearing goes forward, not to use this to the advantage adversaries. There was nothing embarrassing about what happened here. There was nothing that appeared weak. The United States as this was going on was carrying out strikes against our adversary in order to protect our force. We were doing everything that we needed to do to meet the nationality security needs of our country. And if members of this committee incorrectly imply otherwise, they are giving aid and comfort to the adversaries that they claim to care about confronting. I would emphasize if we care about confronting our adversaries, rather than nitpicking the secretary of defense about his precise process in the situation, we should go ahead and pass the National Second costumer security supplemental needs. Whatever russia and china is cranking out im sure it is fails that they think that america is if to abandon our alley, ukraine. The second of defense for three days is more important than walking away from the obligation that we have made and that the whole world is watching us on. With that i yield back. Chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, mr. Wilson. Thank you. Secretary austin, i want to wish you a full and speedy recovery. Well hear today because of the failure to communicate of the department of defense that is critical information requirements through the chain of command to President Biden. As a grateful individual ran myself, along with you, we both understand the crucial role of the chain of command to provide time Sensitive Information to make the right decisions at the right time. When the communications fails there, is an increased risk to Mission Success and increased risk to the servicemen and