Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will undergo a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Friday evening and will transfer power temporarily to his deputy, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
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- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Undergo Procedure at Walter Reed, Temporarily Transfer Power to Deputy
- Medical Procedure: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will undergo a minimally invasive, elective procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday evening due to bladder issues.
- Transfer of Authority: Austin will transfer authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks while he is indisposed.
- Health Background: Austin’s bladder issues arose in December following treatment for prostate cancer. The current procedure is unrelated to his cancer diagnosis, which has an excellent prognosis.
- Past Health Issues: Austin, 70, has had ongoing health issues since his prostatectomy, including a previous hospital stay in February for a bladder issue.
- Notifications: The Pentagon has notified the White House and Congress about the procedure and temporary transfer of power.
The Associated Press has the story:
Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin to undergo procedure at Walter Reed, will transfer power to deputy
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will undergo a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Friday evening and will transfer power temporarily to his deputy, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
Austin is continuing to deal with bladder issues that arose in December following his treatment for prostate cancer, Ryder said.
The procedure is elective and minimally invasive, “is not related to his cancer diagnosis and has had no effect on his exrcellent cancer prognosis,” the press secretary said.
Austin will transfer authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks while he is indisposed, the Pentagon said.
Austin, 70, has had ongoing health issues since undergoing surgery to address a prostate cancer diagnosis. He spent two weeks in the hospital following complications from a prostatectomy. Austin faced criticism at the time for not immediately informing the president or Congress of either his diagnosis or hospitalization.
Austin was taken back to Walter Reed in February for a bladder issue, admitted to intensive care for a second time and underwent a non-surgical procedure under general anesthesia at the time.
The Pentagon has notified the White House and Congress, Ryder said.
