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By Fran Beyer From Newsmax

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came under fire Thursday from House Republicans, who faulted him for the “embarrassment” that his lack of notification about his January hospitalization caused the White House and nation.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., led the scolding as Austin explained the botched communications with his team and White House.

“Who will be held accountable for this embarrassment?” Banks said, leading off the contentious House Armed Services Committee hearing. “Are you surprised the president didn’t call for your resignation? I’m surprised.”

Republicans focused on the fact that Austin was in the hospital for three days before President Joe Biden and the White House learned about his status, arguing it reveals Austin’s lack of influence on national security.

“Either the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant,” Banks said. “Which is it?”

“Our adversaries should fear us and what you have done embarrasses us,” he added.

Austin argued at the hearing that there were no gaps in control of the department or the nation’s security because “at all times, either I or the deputy secretary was in a position to conduct the duties of my office.”

But both political parties have criticized Austin’s failure to quickly let Biden and other senior leaders know about his hospitalization for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

“It’s totally unacceptable that it took three days to inform the president of the United States that the secretary of defense was in the hospital and not in control of the Pentagon,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, adding that wars were raging in Ukraine and Israel at the time.  “The chain of command doesn’t work when the commander in chief doesn’t know who to call.”

The incident also led to concerns about lapses in the command and control of the armed forces, including the country’s nuclear arsenal.

The Pentagon has said Austin’s staff notified Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks when Austin went into intensive care in early January. But that only raised questions about why Austin didn’t do that himself — and whether that suggested there was a gap in control.

At the hearing, Austin declared “at no time during my treatment or recovery were there any gaps in authorities.”

Austin spent several days in intensive care and transferred decision-making authorities to Hicks during that time and when he had the initial surgery in December. He did not, however, tell her why, and he didn’t let the White House know.

Department officials held a classified briefing with senators on Tuesday that got mixed reviews.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., criticized the decision to make the briefing classified, saying the public deserves to know details about the communications breakdown. She said the Defense Department must, at a minimum, “consider how to inform Congress about future gaps in command — as required by current law.”

In a news briefing Feb. 1, Austin said the cancer diagnosis “was a gut punch. And, frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private.” He acknowledged he handled the matter badly and said he apologized to Biden.

The internal review said procedures must be improved and information shared better when the defense secretary must transfer decision-making authorities to the deputy. The Defense Department’s inspector general is also conducting a review, which has not yet been completed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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