Age is becoming a problem for the White House. That’s leading to medical issues that keep arising.
And a hospitalization leads to a transfer of power in the Biden administration.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came under controversy earlier this month for not disclosing to the White House a medical emergency that left him in the hospital.
But the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorney General Merrick Garland are looking to avoid that same mistake this week.
Garland is slated to enter the hospital on Saturday for lower back surgery.
He will transfer over his power to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco while he has the surgery.
“Attorney General Merrick Garland will hand off duties over the weekend to his top deputy while he undergoes lower back surgery on Saturday, Justice Department spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement,” The Washington Post reports.
“Hinojosa described the surgery as ‘minimally invasive’ and said Garland, 71, would be under general anesthesia for about 90 minutes. He is expected to return home the same day as the surgery and plans to report back to work next week.”
“Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will assume the duties of attorney general shortly before the surgery and carry them out until Garland recovers from general anesthesia, according to the statement.”
“Hinojosa said the ‘interlaminar decompression’ surgery would address stenosis. It is standard protocol for top government officials to announce to the public when they are undergoing medical treatment that could leave them incapacitated.”
The DOJ is looking to avoid a repeat incident of Sec. Lloyd’s by being fully transparent with the public and the White House about Garland’s surgery.
Austin’s time in the ICU was kept a secret for three days from the White House.
His aid even asked emergency services on the 911 call to be discreet when they picked Austin up from his home.
He was also asked to resign by both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
For now though, Austin isn’t planning on resigning and President Biden has no intentions of relieving him of his duties.
Austin has since apologized, but the damage was done.
His lack of transparency only hurts the Biden administration’s trustworthiness even more among the American people.
Thankfully, in this case, Garland isn’t trying to hide the fact that he will have surgery this weekend.
If only Sec. Austin would have been as open about things the way Garland and the DOJ are, then he wouldn’t still be facing calls to leave his post.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
