Former New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has agreed to testify publicly subsequent week earlier than a congressional subcommittee to reply questions in regards to the 1000’s of deaths within the state’s nursing properties in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Cuomo is scheduled to testify at a listening to on Sept. 10, in response to the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“Andrew Cuomo owes solutions to the 15,000 households who’ve misplaced family members in New York nursing properties in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio and chairman of the subcommittee, mentioned in an announcement. “On September 10, Individuals will lastly have the chance to listen to immediately from the governor about these doubtlessly lethal nursing residence insurance policies.”
This would be the second time in latest months that Mr. Cuomo has been questioned by Republicans within the Home of Representatives. After receiving a subpoena, he testified in June for seven hours behind closed doorways.
The transcript of that testimony has not but been launched, however lawmakers mentioned they pressed Mr. Cuomo a few March 25, 2020, directive from the state Division of Well being that required nursing properties to just accept coronavirus sufferers from hospitals. The illness unfold quickly in nursing properties, resulting in greater than 15,000 deaths as of June 2021.
In his closed-door testimony, Mr. Wenstrup mentioned Mr. Cuomo had been “extremely callous” and had proven “little regret for the 1000’s of lives misplaced.”
Mr. Cuomo instructed reporters on the deposition that he believed the blame ought to lie with the Trump administration for its dealing with of the pandemic, not its management in New York.
“I believe the federal authorities has failed this nation, and it’s appalling,” Cuomo mentioned. “How might COVID come to the USA in December and nobody knew about it? How did it take so many months for us to have testing in place — primary testing? How might a president of the USA exit of his strategy to say that the virus would go away as quickly because the climate bought hotter?”
He argued that the state Division of Well being adopted the recommendation of federal officers.
“If I had identified then what I do know now, I might have instructed my well being division, ‘Do not take heed to the federal authorities. They do not know what they’re speaking about,'” Cuomo instructed reporters.
A state-commissioned report lately criticized Mr. Cuomo’s dealing with of the pandemic, however didn’t blame him for anything for deaths in nursing properties. The report mentioned the nursing residence deaths in New York have been largely in line with nationwide findings.
The subcommittee additionally performed transcribed interviews with no less than a half-dozen senior Cuomo administration officers.
