- Austin remains in hospital eight days after being taken from his home by ambulance due to complications from a medical procedure
- He is the third official Biden Republicans to raise the idea of impeachment
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin now faces the threat of impeachment from a Republican congressman as anger grows over his secret hospital stay.
Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against the embattled Pentagon chief, 70, just as he was released from intensive care.
Austin remains in hospital eight days after he was taken from his home by ambulance due to complications from a medical procedure.
There have since been calls for his resignation after it emerged that the White House and the rest of the Biden administration needed to be informed that he was receiving medical care.
The Pentagon has said his prognosis is “good” but still won't reveal details about his medical procedure.
Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against the embattled Pentagon chief, 70, just as he was released from intensive care
Austin remains in hospital eight days after he was taken from his home by ambulance due to complications from a medical procedure
Rosendale says Austin has “violated his office multiple times,” citing the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.
'Sec. Austin knowingly endangered the American people and jeopardized our national security when he flew a foreign adversary's spy balloon over Malmstrom Air Base – home to ICBMs – and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather information about U.S. citizens. said in a statement.
“This dishonesty appears to be a recurring pattern for the Secretary as he again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.
'Sec. “Austin is unfit to serve as the Secretary of Defense, and that is why I urge my colleagues to join me in pursuing impeachment against him to protect the American people,” he added.
Rosendale is considering a Senate run in Montana, even though GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.
The Biden administration is backing Austin despite anger from both Democrats and Republicans that the media and senior administration officials remained in the dark about his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Austin is the third Biden administration official to raise the idea of impeachment to Republicans, following Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden.
The first impeachment hearing against Mayorkas will take place on Wednesday.
The Pentagon announced Monday that Austin was taken in an ambulance from his home to Walter Reed Army Medical Center after experiencing severe pain on Jan. 1.
Officials also revealed that this was not the case informed the White House that Austin, 70, would go to the hospital on December 22 to undergo an elective medical procedure. Austin transferred his powers to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Hicks was not informed of Austin's hospitalization until three days after he was admitted. Biden was told four days after the defense secretary was admitted.
Austin's top staffers were aware of his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, but did not notify senior leaders at the Defense Department, the White House and Congress, the Pentagon press secretary said. Major General Patrick Ryder.
He also noted that he did not know what procedure Austin underwent on December 22.
Austin remains in the hospital but has left intensive care and resumed his authorities, the Pentagon said.