The White House has set new guidelines for cabinet notifications following Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin’s secret hospitalisation was kept for days from President Joe Biden and his top aides.
According to a report by the news agency Associated Press early Saturday (Jan 27), the new guidelines include a half-dozen instructions for Cabinet agencies to follow when there is a “delegation of authority,” or when secretaries temporarily transfer their authority to a deputy when unreachable due to medical issues, travel or other reasons.
What did the White House say
In a memo to the Cabinet, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients said, “Through your submissions, you demonstrated your commitment to notifying the White House in the event of a delegation – and upon assumption of a delegation, establishing contact with the White House.”
Zients pointed out that some existing guidelines among agencies differed because of various laws, regulations, and executive orders. But through this process we are assured that all agencies have a set of standard protocols they must follow in the event of a delegation of authority, the memo said.
With the new guidelines, Cabinet agencies must notify the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs and Zients’ office when they’re anticipating a delegation of authority and again when the delegation happens, the report said.
It added that once the interim leader assumed authority, that person must contact his or her primary counterpart at the White House and the agency must follow any other notifications that are required under law.
The memo further stated that agencies should ensure that authority is transferred when a Cabinet official is “travelling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anaesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.”
Austin to make full recovery
Earlier this month, the Pentagon had said that Austin had a prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer on Dec 22 last year, for which he underwent general anaesthesia at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House was not informed about the procedure, and Austin, 70, transferred some of his authority to US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
On Jan 1 this year, Austin returned to the medical centre after being in severe pain and was admitted to intensive care. Here too, he transferred some authority to Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico.
Also watch | Lloyd Austin called to testify about hospitalisation before Congress
Hicks was not informed why she was having authorities delegated to her. The White House was not informed about Austin’s hospitalisation until Jan 4, and President Biden did not learn of the 70-year-old’s cancer diagnosis until Jan 9.
Republican lawmakers called for Austin to be sacked from the top Pentagon post. Meanwhile, a statement by the Pentagon said that Austin is likely to make a full recovery from prostate cancer and his prognosis is “excellent.”
(With inputs from agencies)
