Former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo faced tough questioning Tuesday from Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives over its handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes during the height of the pandemic.
Cuomo went to Capitol Hill for a closed-door meeting with the House select subcommittee investigating the matter. corona virus pandemic.
Lawmakers looked into a March 25, 2020, executive order from then-governor that prohibited nursing homes from refusing to admit or readmit residents “based solely on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19 “.
A report published in March 2022 by the New York State The monitor found that Cuomo’s health department “has not been transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes” and that it has “underreported the number of deaths in nursing homes up to 50%” at certain points during the pandemic.
CUOMO FINALLY FORCED TO TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT COVID-19 DECISIONS THAT COST THOUSANDS OF LIVES
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, chairman of the COVID-19 Select Subcommittee, questioned former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo behind closed doors on Tuesday. (Getty Images)
Cuomo pushed back on these claims, insisting that the New York Health Department was following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued by the Trump administration before Cuomo’s order.
A March 2022 report from the New York State Comptroller found that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Department of Health “was not transparent in its reporting of deaths from to COVID-19 in retirement homes. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
In his opening remarks, Cuomo said that “any serious examination must stop asking political questions and start asking questions based on facts.” He pointed out that New York was “number 39 in terms of prorated nursing home deaths (despite the state being ground zero for COVID”).
He also accused the Trump administration of targeting Democratic states “while red and blue states issue” the same guidelines.
GOP lawmakers held a news conference after the hearing in which they accused Cuomo of deflecting blame.
“I felt like the governor was on the defensive for most of the day, often blaming others rather than himself. (He) didn’t seem to take much responsibility for things that was happening,” said President Brad Wenstrup. R-Ohio, said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called Cuomo “a fake” and a “fraud” who “endangers our most vulnerable population, leading to the deaths of more than 15,000 seniors.”
“And it was Andrew Cuomo who covered it up. It wasn’t just the directive that was bad and stupid enough and led to the deaths of over 15,000 elderly people. It was Andrew Cuomo, at political purposes, which ordered the state government to cover up the death toll,” he said.
FILE: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been accused of mishandling his state’s response to COVID-19. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)
GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said today’s deposition “was a step toward accountability and providing long-overdue answers to families who are still grieving the loss of their relatives”.
Speaking to reporters after the deposition, Cuomo said the federal government was ultimately responsible for the severity of the pandemic.
“We have two very different opinions on what happened during COVID. I think the federal government has failed this nation. And it has been terrible. How COVID came to the United States in December and Didn’t anyone know? How did it take so many months before we had…basic testing in place? will heat up? Who then admits to a reporter that he deliberately downplayed things? Cuomo told a reporter.
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, told Fox News Digital that the governor “presented factual evidence that New York, ultimately, was the 39th state in proportion to nursing home deaths in 2020 – despite the fact that it’s at the beginning that it’s the hardest blow.”
“We worked day and night to protect New Yorkers and save lives, even as ‘experts’ kept changing the facts on the ground. We were faced with an international shortage of PPE and no national response.” , Azzopardi said. “The fact that this partisan farce was allowed to continue and they continue to tell stories devoid of facts – especially to help their fringe members who weren’t even present at the hearing – shows you what a joke.”
Wenstrup subpoenaed Cuomo in March to appear before his committee. A letter accompanying the subpoena says Cuomo’s testimony “is critical to our investigation into the effectiveness of federal guidelines and regulations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the protection of nursing home residents.”
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“Additionally, this investigation could inform legislation to improve the federal science-based guidance process, including the drafting, publication, and implementation of guidance from CMS or CDC,” the letter states.
Elizabeth Elkind of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
