Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will undergo a non-surgical procedure on Friday evening at Walter Reed Medical Center as a follow-up for a bladder issue he experienced earlier this year. The Pentagon emphasized that the procedure is not related to his previous prostate cancer diagnosis.
According to the Pentagon, the White House and Congress have been informed of the procedure, and Austin will be temporarily unable to perform his duties during the procedure. As a result, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will assume Austin’s functions and duties as Acting Secretary of Defense.
Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer and hospitalized in December. However, at the time, he did not inform the White House for several days.
