Sen. Wicker: The Administration Still Does Not Understand that Sec. Austin Story Is Not Going to Go Away

[Clip starts RYDER The ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ that the secretary s ░░░░░░░░ of staff was ill ░░░░░░░░ the flu which affected ░░░░░░░░ notification timelines We re ░░░░░░░░ back now and looking ░░░░░░░░ the processes and procedures ░░░░░░░░ I mentioned to include ░░░░░░░░ White House and congressional ░░░░░░░░ to ensure that we ░░░░░░░░ improve those processes Clip ░░░░░░░░ HEMMER the Pentagon still ░░░░░░░░ to come up with ░░░░░░░░ answer that would explain ░░░░░░░░ failure to promptly notify ░░░░░░░░ White House and Congress ░░░░░░░░ the extended hospitalization of ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Lloyd Austin keeping ░░░░░░░░ in the dark for ░░░░░░░░ Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker ░░░░░░░░ the ranking Republican on ░░░░░░░░ Armed Services Committee Sir ░░░░░░░░ you for your time ░░░░░░░░ good morning to you ░░░░░░░░ Good to see you ░░░░░░░░ Chief of staff had ░░░░░░░░ flu That s I ░░░░░░░░ we re peeling it ░░░░░░░░ The president was asked ░░░░░░░░ this yesterday didn t ░░░░░░░░ much of an answer ░░░░░░░░ this clip here Clip ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Are you still ░░░░░░░░ in Secretary Austin sir ░░░░░░░░ ends HEMMER A little ░░░░░░░░ to here from Charleston ░░░░░░░░ Carolina What do you ░░░░░░░░ of this What s ░░░░░░░░ explanation that would suffice ░░░░░░░░ Well that was a ░░░░░░░░ hard to hear the ░░░░░░░░ just went by on ░░░░░░░░ Avenue Let me just ░░░░░░░░ the administration still does ░░░░░░░░ understand that this story ░░░░░░░░ not going to go ░░░░░░░░ They might as well ░░░░░░░░ clean and tell everything ░░░░░░░░ happened and everything they ░░░░░░░░ At least we know ░░░░░░░░ the staff member had ░░░░░░░░ flu We don t ░░░░░░░░ know how seriously ill ░░░░░░░░ secretary of defense continues ░░░░░░░░ be I m told ░░░░░░░░ today he is not ░░░░░░░░ ICU anymore so that ░░░░░░░░ good news and we ░░░░░░░░ wish the secretary well ░░░░░░░░ this is an indictment ░░░░░░░░ the administration s attitude ░░░░░░░░ public disclosure and toward ░░░░░░░░ transparency It is not ░░░░░░░░ to go away They ░░░░░░░░ now commissioned a 30 ░░░░░░░░ internal review That is ░░░░░░░░ going to be adequate ░░░░░░░░ we want to have ░░░░░░░░ review it needs to ░░░░░░░░ done by an outside ░░░░░░░░ general and then they ░░░░░░░░ have to come before ░░░░░░░░ Congress for a hearing ░░░░░░░░ This shouldn t take ░░░░░░░░ days right If I ░░░░░░░░ the president I would ░░░░░░░░ As soon as you ░░░░░░░░ better come to my ░░░░░░░░ at 8 00 on ░░░░░░░░ morning I ll see ░░░░░░░░ there and then I ░░░░░░░░ see you out Because ░░░░░░░░ to me shows a ░░░░░░░░ disregard for the commander ░░░░░░░░ chief and also an ░░░░░░░░ lack of judgment not ░░░░░░░░ by the secretary of ░░░░░░░░ but by the deputy ░░░░░░░░ his chief of staff ░░░░░░░░ everybody else involved This ░░░░░░░░ t take 30 days ░░░░░░░░ figure out WICKER Not ░░░░░░░░ mention the disrespect for ░░░░░░░░ law of the land ░░░░░░░░ was a violation of ░░░░░░░░ very specific statute And ░░░░░░░░ I noticed in the ░░░░░░░░ reports yesterday is someone ░░░░░░░░ the hierarchy there in ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon said this happens ░░░░░░░░ so often where the ░░░░░░░░ is transferred from the ░░░░░░░░ to the deputy secretary ░░░░░░░░ that happens the statute ░░░░░░░░ in and not only ░░░░░░░░ you have to tell ░░░░░░░░ president and people up ░░░░░░░░ down the chain but ░░░░░░░░ is a specific statute ░░░░░░░░ says you have to ░░░░░░░░ the Congress Republican and ░░░░░░░░ leaders of both houses ░░░░░░░░ I m concerned about ░░░░░░░░ And the statute is ░░░░░░░░ a suggestion This is ░░░░░░░░ law of the land ░░░░░░░░ by the Congress and ░░░░░░░░ by the president And ░░░░░░░░ is going to continue ░░░░░░░░ be an issue.”