(CNN) � Defense Secretary will face questions from Congress on Thursday in what is sure to be a tense hearing focused on his days-long delay notifying both lawmakers and President Joe Biden about his whereabouts after he was hospitalized following treatment for prostate cancer.
Austin, who is still recovering from complications after the prostate cancer procedure he had in December, will appear before the House Armed Services Committee. The hearing was requested by Republican chairman Mike Rogers, who said in January that Austin’s “unwillingness to provide candid and complete answers� regarding his hospitalization required a full committee hearing.
“Congress must understand what happened and who made decisions to prevent the disclosure of the whereabouts of a cabinet secretary,� Rogers said in  to Austin.
Austin’s January 1 hospitalization prompted a flurry of questions and reviews of Pentagon processes, including one that is ongoing by the . While Austin was taken to the hospital in an ambulance on January 1 � and admitted to critical care on January 2 � it wasn’t until January 4 that his deputy Kathleen Hicks and  were told he was in the hospital. Hicks was transferred some of his authorities on January 2 but did not know why, which the Pentagon has said was not unusual.
The next day, January 5, Congress and the public were informed.
Austin, an intensely private person, has since said that he “never directed anyone to keep my January hospitalization from the White House� and that the news of his cancer “shook� him.
“Frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. I don’t think it’s news that I’m a pretty private guy, I never like burdening others with my problems,� Austin said during a Pentagon press conference earlier this month. “It’s just not my way. But I’ve learned from this experience, taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect. The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties even temporarily.�
But a joint statement in January from Rogers and ranking member Adam Smith said they were “concerned with how the disclosure of the Secretary’s condition was handled.�
“Transparency is vitally important,� the statement on January 7 said. “Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.�
The hearing on Thursday also comes just days after the Pentagon released the  of the situation, which found ultimately there was no attempts to “obfuscate� Austin’s condition.
The review was conducted by the director of the Office of Administration and Management, who Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said is a career official. It made multiple recommendations for how to improve communication and processes when it comes to Austin transferring authorities to his deputy in the future and notifying Congress, the White House and other relevant officials.
But the review said Austin’s staff “was hesitant to pry or share any information that they did learn� out of privacy concerns. Austin has previously denied the idea that he has “created a culture of secrecy,� and Ryder defended Austin’s staff on Monday, saying it was “dedicated public servants … doing what they thought was the right thing.�
In a preview of the hearing on Thursday, Rep. Rogers sharply criticized the Pentagon review in a statement on Monday, saying it “HELD NO ONE ACCOUNTABLE.�
“This is why we are conducting our own investigation,� Rogers said in . “We will seek answers at our hearing w/ Sec Austin on Thursday.�
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