President Joe Biden did not learn about Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin‘s cancer diagnosis until this morning, the White House said Tuesday.

Austin’s prostate cancer diagnosis was disclosed publicly Tuesday afternoon, mere hours after the president learned, even though Austin reportedly received the diagnosis himself last month.

“[Biden] was not informed until last Friday that Secretary Austin was in the hospital,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during the afternoon press briefing. “He was not informed until this morning that the root cause of that hospitalization was prostate cancer.”

Despite this, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden has “full confidence” in Austin, and Kirby added that the president plans to keep him on as defense secretary through the end of his term in office.

Kirby and Jean-Pierre both said there will be protocol changes going forward for Cabinet members, who will be asked to submit in writing their procedures for delegation of authority.

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Austin, 70, was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month, which was detected early, according to officials, and on Dec. 22, he “underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,” according to a statement from his doctors.

The subsequent hospitalization has become a major controversy, with Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) filing articles of impeachment against Austin. In addition to the White House’s vote of confidence, DOD officials say that Austin has no plans to resign.