my head was -- my face was kind of numb feeling, i think, from some grass burn but yeah, the scariest part i didn't know what my head looked like. >> bill: we want to squeeze this out. >> dana: the oklahoma highway patrol is using this as an opportunity to remind people. we show this video as a graphic reminder of the consequences of distracted or impaired driving and the importance of the slow down move over law. that's a good thing to remember if you are out there on the roads. >> absolutely. i don't think -- we talk about it and preach it all the time and ask people to get over for us. it is state law. i wish it was state law across the u.s., you know. it's something that happens way too frequently and so we just -- video like this is something that i hope people can remember and might see something. >> dana: we've been worried

about it. it's great to see you. our best to your wife. >> bill: the best to your wife. the pride of oklahoma. >> dana: fox news alert. alarming chaos at home and growing dangers around the world all of president biden's problems piling up with tensions in the middle east hinging on his response to iran and the stakes are high as we wait to hear from defense secretary lloyd austin following the deaths of three american service members killed in a drone attack on a u.s. base in jordan. welcome to a new hour of "america's newsroom," i'm dana perino. >> bill: good guy right there. >> dana: wonderful young man. the pride of oklahoma. >> bill: boom. i'm bill hemmer, good morning. breaking a few moments ago a u.s. official confirming news that the drone that killed the three american soldiers and wounded more than 40 others was manufactured by iran. as we wait to hear from the pentagon the number of attacks on u.s. forces keeps climbing.

president biden put a focus on the growing terror threat during this morning's national prayer breakfast on capitol hill. >> president biden: we're actively working for peace, security, dignity for the israeli people and palestinian people. engaged in this day and night and working as many of you in this room are to find the means to bring our hostages homes. that's why we fight against the rise of anti-semitism and islamaphobia and all forms of hate including those against arab americans and south asian-americans. this is a calling to stand against hate, to remember the very idea of america. we're the beacon to the world. the entire world looks to us. that's not -- >> dana: the president facing a growing crisis along the southern borders. migrants creating -- full

coverage on fox. karl rove with reaction. chad pergram on capitol hill. peter doocy is live at the white house. hi, peter. >> the actions president biden says he is going to take in the middle east are going to be to protect american lives. a few minutes ago on capitol hill he spoke about the three american lives that were lost in that drone attack. >> president biden: they risked it all and we'll never forget the sacrifices and service to our country that the dozens of service members who were wounded and are recovering now. >> overnight u.s. sources spotted a houthi drone control station in yemen. they blefshld it was an imminent threat and destroyed it along with 101-way drones. centcom is referring to it as a self-defense strike and white house officials do not believe these iranian-backed militias

are only doing this for support for israel after the october 7th attack. >> and as for the houthis they can claim all they want this is linked to gaza. but 2/three of the ships that they are hitting have no connection to israel whatsoever. so it's just not true. it is a falsehood. we'll continue to do what we have to do to protect that shipping and as we did just today. if we see an opportunity to prevent a missile from getting launch we'll take it out and do what we have to do. >> the militia's know the pentagon will strike back. the pentagon and president have said that that is going to happen. they just don't know when and today president biden is going to fly out to michigan. we expect to see him talking about union jobs later on this afternoon. >> dana: okay. peter doocy, thank you. >> bill: chad pergram we go on the hill and more on what the president is dealing with at home. good morning. >> good morning.

salvaging the border bill may need a prayer. this is the first time the president and speaker have been in the same room at the prayer breakfast since a big meeting at the white house last month. neither addressed the border today. chances to pass the bill have dimmed. >> we're not giving up. a month ago i said the only way we'll rise to the occasion if both sides are serious about finding bipartisan compromise. this is one of the most difficult tasks we've taken and the only way through it to a solution is to do it together in a bipartisan way. >> senate minority leader thinks there is a chance to get a deal but less -- we're -- if democrats can figure out how to message. they own this. we may have owned it before, but now you own it. now you own it.

we can fix it and now you don't want to fix it. now you guys own it. if the american people know why the border is broken it's both parties, not just joe biden. >> the house is focusing on impeachment of alejandro mayorkas. they're applauding the new speaker for moving ahead on this. >> speaker johnson initiated this. previous speaker should have done it a year ago. we didn't need an investigation to do this. i can't speak for the senate. the house is responsible for what we do and we should impeach this secretary and hopefully pass it out of the house. >> the house is aiming for an impeachment vote next week. johnson never completely closed the door to a senate border bill he wants the president to use his powers to fix the crisis. bill. >> bill: chad pergram on the hill with that. >> dana: those are some of the problem hot spots posing big risks for president biden in an election year.

karl rove and fox news contributor. sometimes there is a photograph that will encapsulate everything. right now for this election in 2024 it is this one. this is a migrant involved in the attacking of police officers in times square. he is being led out of court yesterday on bail and he gives america the press, everybody there the double bird and i feel like if you wanted to encapsulate the problems of the biden administration, illegal immigration, crime and being able to walk out without any consequences. you have a photograph you might not see other editors choose to show it but this is where it is. >> in fact, there are some even more terrible photographs of f five illegal immigrants beating up two cops. he was one of them and this is so wrong on so many levels. five people who have come into our country illegally being

taken care of by taxpayer dollars, kept in shelters and in hotels in new york, this particular guy, the double bird guy is a homeless guy. he has come here and become a bigger burden on our society with all kinds of consequences and cost. they attack two police officers, get arrested and let out with 0 bail. not even $1. they are just let out. the idea of these big city progressive prosecutors that we have to be fair by not requiring bail of poor people. we have put back on the street five people who have shown what they think of the american justice system and what behavior is appropriate when they come into our country. >> bill: they may be living in city shelters. >> four of them are. there is an -- yeah, four of them are. >> bill: we asked the deputy commissioner that last hour and

she wasn't sure. that's another blow. taxpayers are paying for them. here is the back and forth now on the border. it will be a political battle now, karl, between democrats and republicans pointing fingers. >> i want to be very clear. our borders are not open. >> the border is secure. >> the president has done more to secure the border and to deal with this issue of immigration than anybody else. >> bill: you have that and you have this from congress. >> dana: it's a quote. this is from a memo the white house put out saying after years of playing politics house republicans have a chance to say yes to border security. the deputy communications director. inheriting a broken system president biden acted on day one by proposing a concrete immigration reform plan and underscoring the need for border security. not only have congressional republicans blocked the reform plan since then but voted against the record border security funding he delivered every single year.

the media will help the white house deliver this message. can republicans with stand it? >> yeah, they can because all they need to do is here is where the level of immigration was in december of 2020, roughly 40,000 people a month coming across the border. here is where it is today. five times as big, 200,000. if the system was broken before, how come we had fewer people coming across the border? if the border is fixed and secure now why do we have five times as many people coming? it is ridiculous. both sides have something to be blamed for in this. the republicans frankly ought to take what they can get out of this deal because remember, it requires 60 votes in the senate. it is so bad for the democrats they are willing to at least give some steps that will help us get better control over the border. republicans are capable of saying okay, nice start but you failed to do x and y and z and q. the only way we'll get that is to have a republican president and republican congress who are

willing to give it to them. they can win the battle and get some things they won't get otherwise at least for a year. they require 60 votes in the senate. the idea that the white house is sitting here saying oh, we are in control of the border, we have gotten it fixed and you are keeping it from getting it fixed because you won't vote for our plans, those two things are in conflict with each other. the fact of the matter is at the end of the day the republicans will win this messaging battle. the level of immigration when they left office and here is where it is today. the gap between is the biden gap. >> bill: republicans say why bend because the laws are on the books if you just enforce them. >> well, i don't think they should -- what more can you do that will constructively help give us additional tools like more funding for barriers and for the wall where it's necessary, more money for border patrol and so forth.

there are things that can be done proactively that will step up our ability to enforce the border. the republicans, you know, will win this battle. the messaging battle. question is in the meantime are the democrats smart enough to say you know what? let's give them more of what they want in order to get the 60 votes and give us to say we have progress. they won't win the battle. here is where it was, here it is today. even if we make big changes today, this top number is not going to drop a lot in the next seven or eight months. >> bill: thank you, carl. >> dana: good to have you. have a great day. >> bill: watching the pentagon now. this is our first look with the camera up and we're about to get our first look at the defense secretary lloyd austin. he has not spoken since the americans were killed by the iranian-made drone that has been confirmed. he has not spoken since he went to the hospital, walter reed in december and the first of january.

what will he say? we don't know. that gets underway momentarily. there is this as we await that. >> it's one of those things where we welcome him but he better, as he and his team come in, he better have a wagon full of answers and a wagon full of good news for us. >> citizens reacting to the news that president biden will visit their town more than a year after that toxic train explosion in east palestine. >> bill: a growing number of women being diagnosed with adhd. why the smartphone could be the culprit and the cure. >> dana: deputies busting an undercover operation funneling fake i.d.s to migrants. >> some of the people we have taken into custody have told us they were directed on what to steal, how much to steal that would get you this i.d. and that i.d. 22%, near 30% if you pay late. why not do what thousands of veteran families have done.

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>> dana: we're looking live at the podium at the pentagon where the secretary of defense lloyd austin will give a press conference. this is rare. we haven't heard from him in a while and since he was given prostate surgery and cancer treatment to prevent further spread of that problem. it will be good to see him. he is in better health but a lot of questions to answer from the media here. usually you call a press conference to call the news. we don't know what the news is yet. we're live as soon as it happens. >> bill: we're in stand by mode as we say. president biden finally travel to east palestine in february. he will mark the anniversary of the train derailment a year ago. a year later locals say they're still suffering from the effects of a toxic chemical spill and are left feeling forgotten. fox business kelly is there. east palestine.

talked to a lot of folks there. reaction a year later. good morning. >> good morning, bill. some residents tell me the president is welcome. they hope this won't be just a campaign stop for him. meanwhile the mayor trent conway tells me that he is worried about how other people will receive the visit. he says that they might not give him open arms like the other residents that urged when im to write a formal invitation to the white house for him to visit. he also said the best time for biden to visit would be on his 2025 book tour. listen. >> still stand by the comment about the bookstore? >> 100% stand by the comment about the book tour. the best time for him personally is joe biden that's the best time for him to come. i think the best time for him to come would have been whenever this happened. >> the epa and local government told residents they were safe to return to their homes less than

a week after the derailment happened. in addition to construction, one indication how life has changed after a storm rolls through. a unique smell that lingers here and not of a fresh rain. the moisture makes the air smell like a paint factory. for dr. rick he has been testing the environment for chemicals in the creek and experiencing ongoing health issues. >> i would have acid reflux. i never had that in my life. this was like acid reflux on steroids shooting into my throat, burning my gums and teeth, sore throat, cough. >> now he is running for congress because, he says, east palestine has been forgotten. norfolk southern becomes the first of the six major railroad companies to agree to a federal pilot program that will allow its employees to anonymously report incidents that they fear

would put people in danger, bill. >> bill: a big story still. nice to see you on the ground in east palestine. the florida we go. florida governor ron desantis the deployment of 800 soldiers from the florida national guard that will report to the border in texas. >> all the way back in 2021 and we have had people on the ground there since 2021. we have had national guard, we've had highway patrol, fish and wildlife, you name it. they have been there and they've been making a big difference. they've been able to see a lot of the things that are happening. we have our folks from fhp stopping people from iran coming across the border, morocco, all these places around the world which is just crazy this is happening. director can talk about it. he has a laundry list of things. they had an alien from mexico that they picked up near the border who was out -- wanted for

capital murder in the houston area. so this has been a total disaster. you have massive amounts of drugs pouring into the border and then the sheer number of people. you don't hear these cities talk about being sanctuary cities anymore, do you? they realize you can't possibly take this many people coming in. so we've been assisting from the beginning. we've also taken steps here in the state of florida. we've signed strong legislation to protect floridians against illegal immigration, including banning sanctuary cities, including having e verify for employers and increasing penalties for human trafficking and human smuggling. we've also banned local governments and non-government organizations from issuing i.d. cards to illegal aliens. and we've invalidated out of state licenses that have been issued to illegal aliens by

states like california. we aren't recognizing that here in the state of florida. and so we've been very, very strong on this. we understand the costs involved and there are many, many costs. we now have more fentanyl deaths on a yearly basis than we've ever had. it has been going up and up. we have done a lot to stop that in florida and had some success in slowing the problem. but when you have this much coming in, i mean, i think they just did what was it 15,000 pills that they just seized in florida of fentanyl pills. they were disguised as oxy, really fentanyl. i've been doing this now for years raising the alarm on it. when you talk to parents who have lost kids from fentanyl poisoning, a lot of times it's in one of those situations. they think they are taking an oxy or something. they shouldn't be doing but laced with fentanyl you can be

poisoned to death right there. those are potential death sentences to anyone that takes it. so we see that. the human toll has been incredible that this is happening. biden has the authority to close this border today if he wanted to. he lacks the will to get the job done. he lacks the capacity to see the problem for what it is and to get the job done. so the american people are basically left scrambling and they are left to have to deal with this all on their own. now, we've done a lot. fhp troopers since 2021, they've intercepted 150,000 illegal aliens. [applause] and they have been instrumental in generating over 2,000 human trafficking and human smuggling

charges in the state of texas. our national guard have helped staff observation points, patrols, and they have helped with fencing and barriers. our florida department of law enforcement is assisting texas dps with arrests of criminal aliens including violent gang members and florida fish and wildlife has deployed hundreds of officers who 504--wheel drive patrol trucks and 24 vessels to assist in patrolling the border along the rio grande river. so we have stepped up probably more than any other state has stepped up. >> bill: there is the news. a lot of them will go to eagle pass. we know what's happening there these days. a lot of razor wire on the ground. the number of illegals crossing over the past week has diminished considerably. cause and effect. >> dana: why the federal government hasn't touched it yet, either. want to get you to this story as well. adult women are being diagnosed with adhd at a record pace.

in two years diagnosis rate has nearly doubled. so what's driving the late in life surge? doctors think our phones could be a root cause. ironically it is also what is raising awareness about it. joining us now is brook, an adhd executive function coach. great to have you here. tell us why women and why now and why are these diagnoses going up? >> sure, thank you for having me. so the diagnosis in adhd is going up. people are understanding more about themselves since the pandemic. they have had a chance to be with themselves and their partners are recognizing more about them as well. a ball in motion stays in motion. when we had so much down time to really understand ourselves that's when mental health was on the rise and adhders are drawn to social media. we get the dopamine hit of

social media. they are talking about mental health. adhd was hash tagged 30 billion times on tiktok. so they can be attracted to social media and they are finding people like themselves and are seeking more diagnoses now that they are aware of what's going on. >> dana: all of us are distracted because of our phones. i can be reading the "wall street journal" editorial page and let me check my sister and what she sent me on instagram. what's the line between someone who feels distracted because of their phone and someone who actually has adhd and gets that diagnosis? at that point then do you seek treatment? what kind of treatment is it? >> good question. everyone has a shorter attention span with technology these days. if you look on youtube and social media, all of the frames are very quick.

so yes, our attention span has shortened. in order to have a true adhd diagnosis you need to show symptoms of adhd before the age of 12. six out of nine symptoms and two or more areas of your life. it has to be diagnosed by a psyc psychiatrist or psychologist. >> dana: how would you know if you have it? >> if it's impacting your life. for students, if they are have an average iq or above average and not grasping the material in school because they are distracted internally or externally and they have to be retaught everything at home. that's a time to look to see if potentially adhd is impacting them. as an adult very often it can impact relationships. forgetting taxes being paid,

bills being paid, not that they don't have the money but they forget deadlines and it can impact their jobs. they might get fired or jump every two or three years. many different signs of this happening in adult life and in a child life. if it's impacting you negatively in your life i would get checked out and do a comprehensive evaluation just to make sure that you are teasing out anxiety, depression, ocd, autism. the other types of disorders that might also mimic adhd. >> dana: thank you. adhd and an executive function coach. everyone will get on top of it. appreciate it, thank you. >> bill: so a denny's restaurant in oakland closing its doors after rampant crime in that city. location was there for 54 years. this about a week after an in and out burger shut down. the first closure for that fran

of ice in its 75 year history. robberies in oakland have risen nearly 40% in the past year. when i go to denny's, three scrambles, bacon and a muffin. >> dana: it was a pancake and they made a face. something like that. i like that. my dad still likes denny's, good place, too bad. >> yes or no. will you set up a victims compensation fund with your money, the money you made on these families sitting behind you, yes or no? >> senator, i don't think that's -- my job -- >> bill: this is the kind of way it went. mark zuckerberg taking the heat on the hill. congress calls out big tech for failing to protect kids online. senator josh hawley pressing them on accountability. moments away now from a pentagon

press briefing. we don't want to miss this. what will the commander-in-chief do after an iranian-made drone killed three u.s. soldiers. defense secretary lloyd austin is coming into the room. the first time speaking publicly since he came back to work after the secret hospital stay. >> thank you everyone for being here today. my pleasure to welcome secretary of defense lloyd j. austin iii. the secretary will delivering opening remarks and take your questions. note that i will moderate those questions and call on journalists. i ask you raise your hand if you have a question, wait to be recognized and i will call upon you. with that over to you, mr. secretary. >> thanks. good morning. it has been a difficult few days for the department of defense. and the entire department is united in our out rage and sorrow of the death of three u.s. service members on sunday in jordan. we mourn the loss of them.

sergeant william rivers age 46, agent kennedy sanders, age 24, and sergeant breonna moffet age 23. our thoughts and prayers are with their families and their loved ones and we know that this grief will never leave them. we hope that they know that the department's love and support will never leave them, either. we're also praying for the other american troops who were wounded. now, our teammates were killed when a one-way attack drone struck their living quarters. we continue to gather the facts about this deadly attack. our fallen soldiers had a vital mission to support operation inherent resolve. to work with our partners to insure the lasting defeat of isis. they risked their lives and lost their lives to keep their fellow

americans safe from global terrorism. the president will not tolerate attacks on american troops. and neither will i. our teammates were killed by radical militia's backed by iran and operating inside syria and iraq. in theafter math of the hamas groups in israel other groups have tried to create even more turmoil including the houthis attacking commercial shipping in the red sea. this is a dangerous moment in the middle east. we'll continue to work to avoid a wider conflict in the region. but we will take all necessary actions to defend the united states, our interests, and our people. we will respond when we choose,

where we choose, and how we choose. now, that's what everyone here is focused on. in my first week back in the pentagon i did want to address my recent hospital stay and some of the issues around it. i'm recovering well. as you can see i'm still recovering. still having some leg pain and doing physical therapy to get past it. i'm deeply grateful to my doctors and nursing staff at walter reed and very much appreciate all the good wishes. what i want to be crystal clear, we did not handle this right and i did not handle this right. i should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis, i should have also told my team and the american public. i take full responsibility. i apologize to my teammates and to the american people. now, i want to make it very clear that there were no gaps in

authorities and no risk to the department's command and control. at every moment either i or the deputy secretary was in full charge. we've already put in place some new procedures to make sure that any lapses in notification don't happen. in the future, if the deputy secretary needs to temporarily assume the duties of my office, she and several white house offices will be immediately notified, including the white house situation room. so will key officials across the department. the reason for that assumption of duties will be included in writing. now, i want you all to know why this happened. i was being treated for prostate cancer. the news shook me and i know it shakes so many others, especially in the black community. it was a gut punch. frankly, my first instinct was

to keep it private. i don't think it's news that i'm a pretty private guy. i never like the burdening others with my problems. it is just not my way. but i've learned from this experience taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect. the american people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties even temporarily. so a wider circle should have been notified, especially the president. i'll take your questions today but as you know, we have an ongoing internal review as well as a d.o.d. inspector general review we fully support. so i may have to discuss some aspects later. now, let me back up a bit. as you know in december 22nd i had a minimally invasive procedure to cure me of my recently diagnosed prostate

cancer and then i hit some bad luck during what is usually a pretty easy recovery. on january 1st i felt severe leg pain and pain in the abdomen and hip. that evening an ambulance took me to walter reed. the doctors found i had several issues that needed treatment including a bladder infection, abdominal problems. on january 2nd, i was also experiencing fever and chills and shallow breathing. the medical staff decided to transfer me to the critical care unit for several days for closer monitoring and better team care by my doctors. deputy secretary assumed the functions and duties of my office, which happens when necessary. her senior staff, my senior staff and the joint staff are notified of this through our regular email notification procedures. i never directed anyone to keep

my january hospitalization from the white house. on january 5th i resumed my functions as secretary from the hospital. i was functioning well mentally but not so well physically. so i stayed at walter reed for additional time for additional treatment including physical therapy for some lingering issues with my leg. now, i'm offering all of this as an explanation and not an excuse. i am very proud of what we've achieved at the department over the past three years. but we fell short on this one. as a rule, i don't talk about conversations with my boss but i can tell you i have apologized directly to president biden. i've told him i am deeply sorry for not letting him know immediately that i received a heavy diagnosis and was getting treatment. he was responded with the grace

and warm heart that anyone who knows him bah expect. i'm grateful for his full confidence in me. finally, i also missed an opportunity to send a message on an important public health issue. i would like to fix that right now. i was diagnosed with a highly treatable form of cancer. pretty common one. one in eight american men will get prostate cancer, one in six black men will get it. and so i'm here with a clear message to other men, especially older men, get screened, get regular checkups, prostate cancer has a glass jaw. if your doctor could k spot it they can treat it and beat it. the side effects that i experienced are highly, highly unusual. so you can count on me to set a better example on this issue today and for the rest of my life. again i want to thank everyone for their well wishes and their

great support. and with that, i will take your questions. >> thank you, mr. secretary. first question go to associated press. >> thank you, mr. secretary. you said that you never directed anyone to keep this from the white house. did you direct your staff or others to keep it from the public and from other senior staff members? and if you did not, has anyone been disciplined for doing something that you did not tell them to do and then just quickly on iraq and syria, what is your response to the kh statement today that they are postponing or not doing anymore attacks? thank you. >> good morning. to answer your question on whether or not i directed my staff to conceal my hospitalization from anyone else, the answer is no. in terms of my response to kh's

statement, we always listen to what people are saying but we watch what they do. and again, actions are everything. so we'll see what happens in the future. >> next question fox. >> sir, during that time that you were in the intensive care unit, there was an air strike carried out, a drone strike against an iraqi leader of a militia. how is it that -- do you regret that the authorities were not clear at that point and what can you explain about what was going through your mind at that time? there has been a lot of telegraphing about responding to the drone strike. so much so the iranian proxy leaders have left the country, some are back in tehran. has there been too much telegraphing or is the point not

to kill any iranian commanders? >> regarding the strike on the 8th, jen, that strike was planned. i had made recommendations to the president on actions that we should carry out and the president made a decision and based upon that decision, authorities were pushed down to the central command commander and as you know, a strike like that, you can't pick the precise time when the strike will take place. you want to minimize collateral damage and make sure you have everything right. so the subordinate commander had the controls on that particular strike. so i was very much involved in the planning and recommendations for that and we knew that would take place within a matter of

days. in terms of telegraphing about strikes and whether or not people leave or would have left, i won't speculate on any of that. i will just tell you that, you know, we will have a multi-tiered response and again, we have the ability to respond in a number of times depending on what the situation is. >> let's go to reuters. >> what did your deputy know about your condition and when did she know it? >> phil, i think in terms of what she knew and didn't know, i think we should probably let that come out of the review. i won't speculate on what she knew and did not know based upon what information was passed to her. the details of that will come

out in one or both of those reviews. >> okay. >> mr. secretary, you said you didn't direct your staff to hide this truth or lie but did you create a culture of secrecy that the staff interpreted your desires or your intentions when it came to you getting sick? >> yeah, you know, i -- i don't think i've created a culture of secrecy. i think there will be security officers and other staff members who may perceive that they are doing things in my best interest and i can't -- i can't predict or determine or ascertain what those things may be. i just know what i said and did not say. of course, i have a great staff. they always want to and intend to do the right things.

in terms of what one may or may not have perceived at any one point in time i won't speculate on that. >> abc. >> thank you for doing this and i think on behalf of all of us we wish you a speedy recovery. i would like to ask you about the current situation in the middle east. the message has been deterrence, deterring the attacks by the houthis and the militias. has deterrence failed and if you are going to retaliate at the time and place of your choosing is that not an escalation given all the rhetoric with iran? the question on your recovery, sir, at any point did you feel that your situation had caused you considering resigning given all the political attention that had developed as a result of it? >> in terms of resignation, the answer is no. in terms of escalation in the

middle east, our goal is to make sure that we contain this crisis in gaza and that we prevented things from spreading to a wider conflict. there is a lot of activity in the region but there has always been a lot of activity in the region. you know well that iranian proxy groups have been attacking our troops even well before october 7th. we can go back and count the numbers of attacks before october 7th and they are not insignificant. there are things that are ongoing now -- things not ongoing, you know, we don't see a conflict, an all-out conflict between israel and lebanese hezbollah. so i think managing that, i think, has been artfully done.

so we remain in contact with our israeli counterparts and make sure that doesn't blossom into a war on another front. we don't see israel engaged in a conflict with other countries in the region. we aren't at war with iran. you have the houthis continuing to do some things that are very irresponsible and illegal. and so our goal is to make sure that we take away -- continue to take away capability from the houthis to do what they've been doing. this is not a u.s. issue. this is an international issue. we are going to either be serious about the freedom of navigation and -- or we're not. and so as we look at partners like the u.k. and so many others that have joined us in this effort, this is about freedom of navigation. there are others in the world to see how serious we are about

this. we are serious. again, our partners and allies are serious about it as well. this is costing countries and companies significant amounts of money as they have had to redirect commercial traffic around. but the houthis, their activity needs to come to a halt and we'll call upon iran to quit or to cease supplying the houthis with these advanced conventional weapons they've used to attack trips in the red sea and the gulf of aden. >> sir, good to see you back on your feet. >> at least on one foot. >> on one foot. you said that you never directed your staff to keep the news of your hospitalization from anyone. did any senior members of your family or your wife direct people to keep this a secret?

>> to my knowledge -- i don't know what anyone on my staff may have said. i think these things will come out in the review. so rather than speculate, i think we should let that -- the facts come out as the review is done. >> can i ask one more question about you mentioned during your opening statement that this was an opportunity to talk about prostate cancer especially in the black community. i wonder, though, do you have any regret that your silence on this reinforced this culture of secrecy among black men about prostate cancer? >> you mentioned that -- it is probably not an issue of secrecy as much as an issue of privacy. this is a very cancer, period, is very private and there may be

cancer survivors amongst us in this room right here. i know there is at least a couple. there are at least a couple. but you know how private that is and you know what the initial diagnosis feels like and so among the black community, though, it is even more a thing that people want to keep private. and again, it's more about privacy than secrecy. in my case, i should have informed my boss, i did not. that was a mistake. and again i apologized to him for not doing so. >> mr. secretary, you went to the hospital on december 22nd. was your staff aware you had gone to the hospital? if so, why didn't they tell the white house? you went back to the hospital on january 1st, and an aide told the dispatcher when the ambulance arrives no lights, no sirens. did you direct the aide to say

that? >> i asked my assistant to call the ambulance. i did not direct him to do anything further than just call the ambulance. so what he said and why he said it, i think, that should come out in the review as well. >> what about december 22nd when you went to the hospital the first time. was your staff aware? if so, why didn't at the they will the white house? >> when i went to the hospital on december 22nd i went in for that procedure. my duties were transferred to the deputy. that was planned and i decided to stay in the oz overnight. i didn't have to. decided to stay there overnight because of the anesthesia that was involved. the next day later in the afternoon, early evening, we transferred authorities back. >> mr. secretary, we wish you good health and thank you for taking our questions and hope you have a quick recovery. two questions. i will start with the first one on your hospitalization.

you were hospitalized for days before you informed the white house or commander-in-chief of your condition in your absence. anyone else within the military chain of command would have faced rep remind or dismissal. why shouldn't that same standard apply to you, sir? >> let me just say thank you for the question. that we didn't get this right. as i said, i take full responsibility for the department's actions. in terms of why on the 2nd notification was not made to the white house, that information was available, i'm not sure at this point what exactly happened. but i think details will play out as a review is conducted. >> about the situation overseas now and the deliberation in regards to strikes. there have been more than 160 strikes on american targets across the region as you noted since october. why has the u.s. waited until

american service members were killed to escalate its response? >> well, as you know, we've responded a number of times and taken out -- first of all, their attacks, many of them, most of them, will than ineffective. most of them were going to defend ourselves against. and whenever we conduct a strike, we are going to hit what we're aiming at and take away capability and going to do what we're desiring to do. and so this particular attack was egregious, that attack was on the sleeping area of one of -- of our base and again, we have -- we've hezbollah and

other elements continue to attack our troops and again i think at this point we should -- it's time to take away even more capability than we've taken in the past. in terms of the -- you use the term escalation. we have not described what our response is going to be but we look to hold the people that are responsible for this accountable and look to make sure that we continue to take away capability from them as we go forward. >> welcome back, mr. secretary. first of all, the chairman of the house armed services committee, one of the main oversight committees for this building has asked if you'll testify on a specific dachlt will you do that? on the middle east, what is your response to the criticism that the united states is sort of

playing into the hands of the houthis because the u.s. response is elevating their status and demonstrated an ability to with stand years of bombing in the past and more broadly playing into the hands of iranians that support the houthis and other groups when the goal of president biden and the united states has been to prevent increased violence in the middle east and now the united states is taking part in actually -- >> what was the first part of your question? >> will you testify as chairman rogers has asked? >> yeah, congress has had some very relevant questions that they've asked us and we will continue to answer those questions. we'll continue to work with chairman rogers' office to address any additional questions or issues that he might have. again we'll stay in touch with

chairman roger's office as things play out. >> on the middle east are you playing into the hands of the houthis and iran more generally? >> if you look at what the houthis are doing, they are attacking commercial shipping. initially they said they are attacking commercial shipping because these ships were supporting israel. they have attacked the ships that are -- that have the interest of some 50 countries that are not supporting israel and so this is an international crime. and this is something that we have to do about it. in terms of elevating the status of the houthis, i think we have to do something about that. this is not elevating their status, this is about preventing them from having the ability to do what they've done in terms of attacking ships and trying to sink ships that have nothing to do with the israeli conflict

>> we all saw a golf cart in the hallway. is that how you are getting around now? and how confident are you that your recovery is going to be complete enough to allow you to continue in what everybody recognizes is a very demanding job? >> nobody recognizes that more than me. but that's the first time i used that golf cart, by the way. i think it's pretty neat. my leg will continue to improve. the doctors are confident that it will. my pt specialist who i think is a sadist, continues to work me hard and he has confidence as well. it will just take time because of the nature of the injury. >> how much time?

>> they can't put a number in terms of days or weeks but incremental improvements. i won't be ready for the olympics but i'll improve. >> thank you, mr. secretary. does the u.s. need to escalate its military actions or do something new or unprecedented to deter iranian proxies and how can it be done without sparking a broader conflict? >> i think everyone recognizes the challenge associated with making sure that we hold the right people accountable, that we do everything necessary to protect our troops and that we manage things so that they don't escalate. i don't think there is any set formula for doing this. i do think, though, that in everything that we do as we work our way through decision making process with the national security council, we're managing

all of that, looking at all of that, and we're using every instrument of national power to address various issues. so i think -- there are ways to manage this so it doesn't spiral out of control. that has been our focus throughout. >> i have two things. back in december in your speech at the reagan library you told israeli leaders they have to protect civilian lives in gaza. since that speech 12,000 more palestinians have been killed. we're now at 27,000 killed. why are you still supporting this war when this government that is the most extreme in the history of israel, led my someone who refuses to recognize any political right for the palestinians, and what elements they are calling for ethnic cleansing and displa