WASHINGTON — The fallout continues over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's failure to notify lawmakers, the White House and the American public about his recent hospitalization.
Thursday's House Armed Services Committee hearing was Austin's first public appearance on Capitol Hill since his hospital stay in January.
Austin apologized for not being fully transparent about his hospitalization for prostate cancer. But thus far, neither he nor anyone within the department has been punished over the secrecy.
Some lawmakers including Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia, 2nd District) are saying that more accountability is needed.
"There really is no room for apology when it comes to running the military. And God forbid if something happened, then, we needed to get in touch with leadership, he wasn't there. So, he admitted it was a breakdown on his part. We have a chain of command in the military," Kiggans said in an interview on Friday with 13 News Now.
Kiggans' new bill would require all members of the National Security Council to notify the President, the Comptroller General and all of Congress within 24 hours of any planned or emergency medical incapacitation.
The House Oversight Committee has already approved the measure.
