Since the Lloyd Austin scandal broke, the current Secretary of Defense who was secretly hospitalized, criticism from Republicans has been continuous. Even Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-MT) introduced articles of impeachment before Congress, claiming that the official "violated his oath" and endangered the lives of citizens. However, in the last few hours, a Democratic voice was encouraged to call for Austin's resignation.
Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA) arrived in Washington, DC, in January 2023 to succeed Conor Lamb, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the Senate. The 39-year-old became the first Democrat to call for Austin's resignation publicly.
Deluzio spoke out via his X account, formerly known as Twitter, where he expressed disappointment at the situation. "I have lost confidence in Secretary Lloyd Austin's leadership at the Department of Defense due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command," he began.
I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command.
— Congressman Chris Deluzio (@RepDeluzio) January 10, 2024
"In Congress, I have a solemn duty to oversee the Department of Defense through my service on the House Armed Services Committee. That duty compels me today to ask for Secretary Austin's resignation. I thank Secretary Austin for his leadership and years of dedicated service to the American people and wish him a speedy recovery," concluded the Congressman.
The Democrat represents Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district, currently the state's only electorally competitive seat.
What happened to Lloyd Austin?
It turns out that last Friday, January 5, the Pentagon revealed that the Secretary of Defense had been hospitalized since New Year's' when he began to feel "severe pain." Up to this point, everything seemed normal for someone who did not feel well.
However, the problem is that almost no one within the federal government was informed of Austin's' situation, not even Joe Biden himself.
The official acknowledged through a statement that he should have better managed the communication of his admission and assumed full responsibility for the decision to hide it from everyone, including the president of the administration.
"I also understand the media concerns about transparency, and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure," the official wrote.
