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Democrats Aren’t Ready to Abandon Lloyd Austin Yet

The defense secretary will appear before a House hearing on Thursday, and Democrats will be watching closely.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized twice this year. Maya Alleruzzo/AP

Democrats are holding their breath on whether Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin can continue to carry out his duties effectively while undergoing cancer treatment, particularly after he failed to disclose his diagnosis or hospitalization.

“This is not a time we can have a part-time secretary of defense,” Rep. Seth Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and combat veteran, told NOTUS during Austin’s second unscheduled trip to the hospital since the start of the year.

Moulton is one of only two Democrats, along with Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, to publicly call for Austin’s resignation. Most aren’t willing to go that far — many have defended Austin amid criticism for how he handled a January hospitalization — even as they express concern over the lack of transparency from Austin’s Department of Defense. But they’ll be watching closely on Thursday when he appears before the House Armed Services Committee for a hearing on his failure to properly disclose his January hospitalization.