Sen. Tuberville Places Hold on White House Nomination to Promote Top Aide Who Kept Defense SEC. Austin’s Hospitalization Secret

There are still some unanswered questions about Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization and transfer of authority to a deputy in January that was kept secret from Congress and even President Joe Biden and the White House for several days.

Now, while awaiting a thorough review of what occurred by the Pentagon’s inspector general, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has placed a hold on Senate confirmation of a major promotion for a top Austin aide who played a key role in the secrecy, according to the Associated Press.

Tuberville’s hold effectively blocks the White House nomination in July of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, currently serving as Austin’s senior military assistant, to be promoted and serve as the commander of all U.S. Army forces in the Pacific theater.

Clark’s key role in keeping Austin’s hospitalization a secret

Sec. Austin, who was quietly diagnosed with and underwent surgery for prostate cancer in December, was hospitalized in critical care for several days in early January after suffering complications, and though his authority was quickly transferred to a deputy while he was incapacitated, nobody other than Austin’s immediate senior staff was notified of his hospitalization or the situation more broadly under several days later. […]

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