Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo engaged in a fiery clash during a hearing on Tuesday over Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic had called Cuomo to testify about the undercounting of deaths in nursing homes during the lockdowns. Stefanik began the questioning by pointing out the committee’s finding that Cuomo and his senior aides deliberately excluded information related to the deaths.
Stefanik then brought up Cuomo’s book deal, asking when he had been negotiating for it. The former governor tried to deny the accusation, but Stefanik continued to press him on the matter.
“Governor, you’re throwing your staff under the bus. You are culpable for this,” she said. “My question to you is, when were you negotiating for your multimillion dollar advance deal for your book as seniors were dying in nursing homes?”
Cuomo responded by accusing Stefanik of making up facts, to which she responded by urging him to apologize to the families affected by nursing home deaths.
“You can’t make up facts, congresswoman,” Cuomo said.
Stefanik shot back, “This is not about political theater, it’s about giving answers. Why did 1.2 million Americans die? Why did more Americans die than any [other country] around the globe?”
But Cuomo refused to answer the question, instead trying to deflect by bringing up the overall death toll in the United States. Stefanik was not deterred and continued to press Cuomo to apologize to the families.
“No, no, no, no!” she said. “You’re the former governor who’s disgraced under oath. This is about those seniors, governor. They deserve to hear from you, in the eye, that you apologize. That you were negotiating for a multimillion dollar book deal. It is a disgrace. There is a reason why you are the former governor of New York state and you will never hold elected office again. I yield back.”
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Cuomo’s order in March 2020 forcing nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients has been widely criticized as a contributing factor to the high death toll in New York. On top of that, The Daily Caller News Foundation discovered that his administration knowingly altered classification systems to undercount nursing home deaths, as reported in May 2020.
This heated exchange between Stefanik and Cuomo only highlights the failure of leadership at the highest level in New York state. It is a disgrace that the former governor was more concerned with his book deal and political ambitions than the lives of the most vulnerable population in his state.
The fact that Cuomo refused to take responsibility and apologize to the families affected by the mishandling of nursing homes is a clear indication of his lack of empathy and accountability. As Stefanik pointed out, there is a reason why Cuomo is the former governor of New York and why he will never hold elected office again.
This hearing only confirms the importance of strong and effective leadership during times of crisis, and it is clear that Cuomo failed on all counts.