US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday for an emergent bladder issue, marking his second medical emergency this year.
A later statement said Austin was admitted into the critical care unit.
Austin is battling prostate cancer, and after the announcement that he was hospitalized again, The Pentagon Chief transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
And unlike what happened before, the White House, Pentagon, and Congress were promptly informed.
Austin faced heavy criticism for previously concealing his hospitalizations and vanishing from the public eye in late December, and again in January, after suffering complications.
The Pentagon Chief later apologized for the lack of transparency, and told the media that he should have told the president about his cancer diagnosis.
“I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people,” Lloyd Austin, Pentagon Chief stated.
Austin insisted he didn’t tell his staff to hide his hospital stay and hasn’t thought about quitting.
