Public Testimony on the Horizon
Cuomo will appear before the same subcommittee on September 10, marking the first time he’ll publicly address questions regarding his administration’s March 2020 advisory. The policy in question prohibited nursing homes from rejecting patients solely based on a COVID-19 diagnosis, a move that critics argue contributed to thousands of deaths in New York’s nursing homes.
“Andrew Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York’s nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Rep. Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio Republican who chairs the subcommittee. Wenstrup emphasized that the hearing will provide Americans with the opportunity to hear directly from Cuomo about the policies that many believe had fatal consequences.
Cuomo’s Defense
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s spokesperson, confirmed the former governor’s participation, asserting that the focus should be on understanding why the U.S. experienced such high COVID-19 mortality rates. “The one question that needs to be answered is still being ignored: ‘Why did more people die from COVID in the United States than any other country and how do we make sure it never happens again?’” Azzopardi stated.
Fallout from Past Investigations
This hearing comes on the heels of several damning reports. A 2021 investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James found that the state’s Department of Health had undercounted COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents by approximately 50%, excluding those who died after being transferred to hospitals. Additionally, a 2022 audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli concluded that the health department under Cuomo’s administration failed to report roughly 4,100 deaths during the peak of the pandemic.
The controversy surrounding Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic is compounded by his resignation in August 2021, following a separate report by the Attorney General’s office, which found that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women. Despite stepping down, Cuomo has continued to defend his administration’s policies, maintaining that the nursing home advisory was in line with federal guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the CDC.
What to Expect
The upcoming testimony is expected to shed further light on Cuomo’s decision-making during the pandemic and whether those choices were influenced by factors beyond public health concerns. With transcripts from interviews with Cuomo and nine of his former administration officials set to be released ahead of the hearing, the public will soon have a more detailed account of the events that led to one of the most contentious decisions of Cuomo’s tenure.
As this saga continues to unfold, all eyes will be on the former governor as he takes the stand to defend his actions during one of the most challenging periods in New York’s history.