The White House is also conducting a review of each of the Cabinet agencies’ protocols in the event that someone needs to take over authority
Following the defence secretary’s previously undisclosed absence, the White House issued a new set of procedures to Cabinet members if their duties can’t be performed.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalisation arose from complications of a procedure for prostate cancer, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.
Hours earlier, the White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told Cabinet secretaries in a memo, obtained by the Associated Press, that if the Cabinet members need to re-delegate authority, they must notify his office and Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff.
Mr Zients added that the White House will be “conducting a review of agency protocols for a delegation of authority.” Each department is required to submit its current protocols by Friday 12 January to the Office of Cabinet Affairs, the memo added.
Wait.
They don’t have this sorted out… you know…. As a matter of running the damn government?
There’s probably a default chain of command; they’re probably just realising that the chain is dominated by geriatrics and oligarchs who don’t know how to govern without being hand held by corporate lawyers and lobbyists.
Every job I’ve ever worked had a way to call out sick, detailed on day one.
Every job with a shred of responsibility, keeping coverage by confirming that the other guy was covering while letting my boss know that I was out of pocket for a bit was basic procedure.
They do have a procedure- especially for the SecDef. The problem is that it wasn’t followed. At all.
This level of incompetence is infuriating
Of course it was already sorted out - Deputy secdef Hicks took over, and there’s a whole process around what who it would have been if she wasn’t available.
Hicks was away in PR.
Given the global volatility, being merely on call if something happens isn’t cool.
At that level of authority/responsibility… you need to have someone around to mind the shop, and you do not take ”elective” procedures (per press secretary,) without having someone authorized to mind the shop around.
If it was an emergency procedure, okay, get Hicks on a plane ride home asap. I assume elective means that it wasn’t emergency, rather than to say it wasn’t necessary… aka this was scheduled for some time, and why the hell was Hicks in PR when it was scheduled.
Also anonymously-given reports are saying people didn’t know Austin was gone (or merely was on vacation.) which kinda implies the call tree was fucked