Stefanik demands an apology from Cuomo for the COVID nursing home deaths in a heated exchange.
On Tuesday, Cuomo gave testimony before Congress.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was questioned by lawmakers about his management of contentious COVID-19 nursing home policies, and they urged him to express remorse to the families who suffered losses during the pandemic.
On Tuesday, Cuomo appeared before the House select committee probing the coronavirus pandemic and discussed the deaths of elderly patients who were admitted to nursing homes without undergoing COVID-19 testing.
On March 25, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued an advisory under Cuomo's leadership that nursing homes are not allowed to require a hospitalized resident who has been deemed medically stable to undergo a COVID-19 test before being admitted or readmitted.
During the hearing, Cuomo stated that nursing homes had the final say in accepting COVID-positive patients, but lawmakers argued that the advisory prohibited nursing homes from rejecting admissions.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., stated that after months of investigation, it has been proven that Governor Cuomo and his top advisors issued the deadly executive order in direct violation of CMS and CDC guidelines, which New Yorkers have known for years.
"The former governor was held responsible by Stefanik for the situation. Stefanik urged the governor to turn around, make eye contact with the families present, and offer an apology, which the governor had not done yet. How could the governor do it?"
The former New York governor stated during the hearing that he did not communicate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before or after the advisory was issued.
"Cuomo stated that the advisory was in line with federal guidelines, yet they never contacted him after. It seems unusual that they would not have called if the directive was so extreme that it did not even warrant a call."
The NYS Department of Health's 2023 report found that Cuomo was responsible for 2,262 COVID-related deaths in nursing homes across the state, with the highest number of deaths occurring in Suffolk, Erie, and Queens counties.
During the hearing, the former governor accused former President Donald Trump of diverting blame onto New York and other states for the federal response's inadequacy, which amounted to medical malpractice.
Cuomo was criticized by Republican committee members for shifting responsibility for the issue.
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, stated that she had hoped to see a less defensive and remorseful Governor Cuomo today, but unfortunately, that person has not shown up.
Chairman Wenstrup expressed his skepticism towards the practice of shifting responsibility onto others, which he has observed not only in his setting but also in public.
Wenstrup stated that he did not see any evidence of introspection from the governor. He apologized and expressed disappointment that there was no self-reflection on what could have been done better. Instead, he observed that the governor was simply shifting blame onto others.
Planet Chronicle' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
politics
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