September 11th, 2024
By Gabrielle M. Etzel
House Republicans came to verbal blows with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his first public testimony before Congress on Tuesday regarding his state’s excessive nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo agreed to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic regarding the order from the New York State Department of Health on March 25, 2020, that prohibited nursing homes from denying admittance to patients “solely based upon a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.”
Cuomo said early in the testimony that he was “sorry for every life lost” but did not take responsibility for issuing the March 25 order despite testimony from other former Cuomo administration officials before the committee that the governor’s office was involved in the issuance and rescinding of the policy.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who was invited to question the former governor, pointedly asked Cuomo to address the families of nursing home residents who died due to COVID-19 in the audience.
“You apologized today, but there are families sitting here — I want you to turn around, look them in the eye, and apologize, which you failed to do. Will you do it?” asked Stefanik.
“Congresswoman, this is not about political theater,” responded Cuomo. “It’s about giving answers.”
Stefanik also referenced Cuomo’s $5.1 million book deal for his memoir about his leadership during the pandemic.
“This is about those seniors, governor. They deserve to hear from you, in the eye, that you apologized, that you were negotiating for a multimillion-dollar book deal,” said Stefanik. “It is a disgrace. There is a reason you are the former governor of New York state and you will never hold elected office again.”
The audience in the hearing room applauded at the end of Stefanik’s time.
Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) raised a point of order following the applause, saying that there should be no applause or boos under the rules of decorum.
Other Republicans, as well as a few Democrats on the committee, chastised the former governor as lacking sympathy for New Yorkers who lost family members.
“The American people deserve leaders who are empathetic,” said Rep. John Joyce (R-PA), who is also a physician and part of the GOP Doctors Caucus.
Rep. Debbie Dingle (D-MI) also criticized Cuomo for asking “who cares” about the exact number of nursing home deaths during his transcribed interview before the subcommittee in June.
“I care,” said Dingle. “Every member of this committee here and, more importantly, every family member here cares.”
The chairman of the select subcommittee, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), closed the hearing with words remembering those who died in New York nursing homes and their families.
“Your loved ones will be remembered,” said Wenstrup.
