Pentagon inspector general to investigate mishandling of Lloyd Austin's hospitalization

The Defense Department inspector general said Thursday that it will investigate the mishandling of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent secretive hospitalization.

In a memo, the inspector general said it will examine "the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to the Secretary of Defense's hospitalization."

Additionally, it said it will "assess whether the DoD's policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities as may be warranted due to health-based or other unavailability of senior leadership."

The Pentagon has come under fire for not being more transparent about information regarding Austin's hospitalization, revealed to be for complications resulting from prostate cancer treatment, and a communication lapse that left top Pentagon officials and the White House unaware of his condition for days.

The Pentagon inspector general said its investigation could expand in scope as it proceeds and that it "may identify additional offices and personnel who might have information relevant to our review."

Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican in the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it was "good news" that the Pentagon's inspector general would be handling the investigation.

"We were very much concerned that this would be conducted by some of the very people who were involved in this absence of notice and so it is encouraging to me that we have that opportunity with the DoD inspector general to get to the facts here," Wicker said at a news conference Thursday.

Wicker, who requested Wednesday that Pentagon officials involved in the communication lapse respond to his committee by Jan. 19 and answer questions, said "this is not a partisan issue."

"We are thankful that nothing serious occurred during this incapacity of the secretary [and] that national security suffered," Wicker said. "But it is a learning experience, I hope for the administration, for the secretary -- and an opportunity for us to make sure this never happens again."

Wicker called for a public hearing with the secretary. He has not called on Austin to resign.

Other Republicans on the committee said Austin's disappearing act put the nation at risk, given the ongoing conflicts overseas.

"If a Houthi drone hits one of our ships in the Red Sea, we can't be wondering where the secretary of defense is," said Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer. "Imagine if there was an incident in the South China Sea. Imagine if we suffered a terrorist attack here on our homeland. The secretary of defense's location, and his ability to respond, cannot be in question. But if any security crisis had occurred last week, no one would have known where to find Secretary Austin."

Wicker said the entire ordeal makes him and others wonder if Austin and President Biden are communicating enough.

"I think it raises questions," Wicker said. "I guarantee that if we had a hearing, that's the type of question that will come from both sides of the dais. To what extent is the secretary of defense a part of the principle conversations going on about not only strategy and tactics?"

Austin's secretive hospitalization and the botched notification process that followed has come under scrutiny with one member of Congress calling for the secretary's resignation and others demanding that Pentagon officials provide answers about who knew what and when.

The White House is pointing the finger at the Pentagon for not answering relevant questions about Austin's condition. The White House and President Joe Biden did not learn until Tuesday that Austin had prostate cancer and that complications from a surgical procedure to treat it had resulted in his ongoing hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Austin remained hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon, where, the Pentagon said, he is "in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD's day-to-day operations worldwide."

ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this report.