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

The White House is requesting agencies review their current procedures for delegating authority after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed to inform the White House about his hospitalization for days.

In a memo Monday to Cabinet secretaries, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients asked department heads to ensure their protocols for delegating authority were in line with already existing standards. He also asked each to submit a written review of their agency specific process to the White House for review by Friday.

“The president believes, and has since the beginning of administration, that transparency with the American people is really important. And he knows being a public figure for his entire life that, as a public figure, you have an added burden to be as transparent about your personal situation as possible,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the White House briefing on Tuesday.

Kirby said that when Cabinet members agree to fulfill their position "and raise their right hand for that, they know that there comes an obligation with that to be as transparent about your personal situation as you can — certainly if it affects, in any way, the administration of the duties that you’ve you’ve taken the oath to to do."

In his memo, Zients reminded Cabinet agencies to notify the White House in “event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation.” He added that delegating authority is needed “when a Cabinet Member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable,” according to a copy of the memo obtained by POLITICO.

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. On Tuesday afternoon, the Pentagon disclosed that Austin was being treated for complications from a December surgery to treat prostate cancer.

Less than an hour after the announcement, Kirby disclosed that President Joe Biden didn’t learn of Austin’s diagnosis until earlier that day — about a month after the secretary learned he had cancer.

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.

Kirby had suggested on Monday that a review would 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.