White House orders review by Cabinet secretaries after being surprised by Austin’s illness

The Pentagon did not inform the White House of Austin’s Jan. 1 hospitalization for three days, raising questions about the Biden administration’s protocols and putting under scrutiny the transparency of the Pentagon. The Defense secretary’s secret hospitalization has spurred surprise and widespread frustration among top Biden officials, while criticism has poured in from members of Congress and the media.

Zients’ memo outlines a list of procedures, requiring Cabinet agencies to first notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff; to launch the agency’s delegation-of-authority protocols; to document in writing that the delegation of authority is in effect; and to establish a point of contact between the acting principal and its respective White House counterpart.

Zients asked agencies to submit their delegation-of-power protocols to the Office of Cabinet Affairs, which will review the submissions to ensure they meet the criteria outlined in his note.

“To the extent that your existing protocol does not currently address the above listed considerations, please update your protocols accordingly,” the memo said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby
suggested Monday that a review could be coming. He told reporters that Austin’s job was not in jeopardy, but the White House would look at what happened to “learn from this experience.”

Other agencies have been closely watching the fallout from the Austin situation and taking notes: “Disclose, or if you don’t, be prepared to get your head kicked in,” said one U.S. official from another department.

Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.