Austin was taken to the hospital for bladder problems

The Pentagon announced on Sunday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III had been taken to a military hospital that afternoon to be treated for “symptoms indicative of an emerging bladder problem.”

Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, at 2:20 p.m., Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said in a statement. He added that the deputy secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been notified, as well as the White House and members of Congress.

General Ryder said the 70-year-old Austin “retained the functions and duties of his office.” If necessary, he added, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks would assume these responsibilities.

The announcement appeared intended to show transparency around Mr. Austin's medical condition and to highlight the fact that several top officials in the U.S. government had been notified.

Mr Austin was widely criticized last month when he went to hospital for several days to be treated for complications related to a recent prostate cancer operation. He had initially kept his hospital visit secret from top administration officials, including President Biden, the White House national security adviser, the secretary of state and senior officials in the Pentagon, including those directly under him in the office.

Mr. Austin also failed to inform the president that he had undergone the original surgery in December.

Lawmakers called on the Pentagon to provide answers as to why so many officials remained in the dark. Mr. Biden said on Jan. 12 that he still had confidence in Mr. Austin. But when the president was asked whether it would have been an error of judgment if Mr. Austin had not informed him he was out of service, Mr. Biden said “yes.”

Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Army general and former commander of United States Central Command, had served more than four decades in the military when he took the top job at the Pentagon in 2021. Throughout his career, he has sought attention and has tried to keep many parts of his life out of the public spotlight.

General Ryder said the Pentagon would provide an update on Mr. Austin's condition as soon as possible.