NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo caught warmth from Home Republicans for 2 hours Tuesday, fielding withering questions on his dealing with of the Covid pandemic and nursing dwelling deaths as he mulls one other run for workplace.
The listening to by Home lawmakers was probably the most expansive public airing but of Cuomo’s pandemic-era controversies — and he got here ready to forged it as a partisan assault.
“This subcommittee, run by Republicans, repeats the Trump lies and deceptions,” he stated.
Cuomo aimed to put blame for the Covid dying toll on former President Donald Trump. However Republicans — and a handful of Democrats — have been extra centered on his document and whether or not his administration purposefully undercounted nursing dwelling deaths.
“Any public official who sought to obscure transparency or mislead the American folks through the Covid-19 pandemic ought to reply to the American public — no matter political social gathering,” California Rep. Raul Ruiz, the highest Democrat on the panel, stated as the general public listening to acquired underway.
Nonetheless, the at-times heated questions for Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations, reignited the uncooked partisanship of how public officers reacted to the general public well being disaster.
“It’s the rationale why you’re the previous governor of New York state,” Republic Rep. Elise Stefanik stated of the nursing dwelling controversy throughout an particularly fiery alternate. “You’ll by no means maintain elected workplace once more.”
It was additionally a jarring position reversal for Cuomo, who held the governor’s workplace for a decade and successfully leveraged the workplace’s already broad powers. Cuomo, whose questioning of subordinates, lawmakers and reporters could be intense, was the one on the receiving finish of essential scrutiny and lectures from Republicans.
The general public listening to by the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic got here as Cuomo is contemplating a bid for elected workplace, both operating for mayor of New York Metropolis or a return to Albany as governor.
His look underscored the potential weaknesses of a Cuomo comeback — a controversial document of dealing with a public well being disaster that originally catapulted him to nationwide superstar, however presaged his fall from energy. It was adopted by the sexual misconduct allegations, which Cuomo has steadfastly denied.
The previous governor, nonetheless, didn’t settle for blame for the pandemic choices he made – at the same time as he apologized to the members of the family of people that died in long-term care services, a lot of whom fault him for his or her family members’ deaths.
“I consider you might be owed an apology as a result of I consider this nation ought to have executed higher,” he stated.
The listening to happened the identical day one other high-profile Democrat in New York politics got here beneath fireplace.
Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration and marketing campaign are beneath federal investigations, fielded questions from reporters Tuesday, simply days after high officers on the New York Police Division and Division of Schooling and his high deputy had their telephones seized following raids by the FBI.
Adams repeatedly declined to immediately specific confidence in his police commissioner, Edward Caban.
Talking remotely after a optimistic Covid take a look at, Adams insisted he would stay in workplace.
“The job I’ve as your mayor is the one one I’ve ever needed,” he stated. “Serving you is an honor. Additionally it is a accountability. I wish to guarantee you that I really feel the superior weight of that accountability with my complete coronary heart, and I might by no means do something to betray your belief.”
The Congressional listening to in D.C. served to spotlight what has been Cuomo’s personal administration type.
A self-acknowledged micromanager, Cuomo however denied enjoying an energetic position in issuing a controversial order requiring that nursing houses not flip away Covid-positive sufferers. He has additionally denied offering enter on a July 2020 state report that was later discovered to have undercounted nursing dwelling deaths.
As a substitute, Cuomo repeatedly blamed Trump, the Republican nominee for president.
“His lies and denials delayed our response, let the virus unfold and this nation by no means caught up,” Cuomo stated.
The previous governor has been dogged by the nursing dwelling controversy for the reason that preliminary months of the pandemic.
The point of interest of that controversy has been a March 2020 steerage that required nursing houses to not flip away Covid-positive sufferers — a provision that was issued on the behest of the Better New York Hospital Affiliation, a strong well being care community, that was involved sick sufferers would overwhelm medical facilities.
The Cuomo administration rescinded the order weeks later amid a barrage of criticism, together with from members of the family of these residing in nursing houses and long-term care services.
However Cuomo has lengthy asserted that partisan political figures — from Republicans to his progressive critics — performed a central position in overstating the influence of the steerage.
Nonetheless, he and his high advisors have been criticized for the way the state tabulated the deaths of nursing dwelling residents. A bombshell report from Legal professional Common Letitia James’ workplace in early 2021 discovered the Cuomo administration undercounted fatalities.
The disputed dying toll of nursing dwelling residents was first made public in a July 2020 report, weeks earlier than his memoir in regards to the pandemic was set to be launched. Cuomo had signed a multi-million greenback ebook deal earlier that 12 months.
On the dying toll line assault, Cuomo once more turned the eye to Trump, whose favor he repeatedly sought when in search of private protecting tools, ventilators and different federal assets as hospitalizations mounted.
“The president is the place the buck stops, proper?” Cuomo stated.
As Tuesday’s listening to neared its conclusion, Subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio Republican,tried to show that line of assault on its head.
“Former governor,” he stated, “the buck is meant to cease with you within the state.”
Emily Ngo, Sally Goldenberg and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
