Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) delivered a fierce and unrelenting takedown of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, marking what many are calling the end of Cuomo’s political career. During the testimony, Cuomo was grilled by Stefanik and other members of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which is investigating Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo’s administration came under fire in 2020 for a directive that required nursing homes to accept COVID-19-positive patients, which many believe contributed to the high death toll in those facilities. Despite mounting evidence and bipartisan criticism, Cuomo stood by his actions and blamed former President Donald Trump for what he called “a lack of leadership.”
Stefanik, however, was having none of it. She opened her questioning with a sharp rebuke of Cuomo’s attempt to downplay his administration’s role in the nursing home crisis. “Just as a reminder for the public tuning in, we are here today on behalf of their loved ones amidst this grief, who have been smeared, attacked and denigrated by Governor Cuomo and his most senior aides,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik didn’t let up, drilling into Cuomo about the infamous March 2020 directive, and pressing him on testimony from Cuomo’s own health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker. According to Stefanik, Zucker testified that the nursing home directive was a result of a direct request from the Greater New York Hospital Association to Cuomo, a fact Cuomo denied knowing.
“Isn’t it correct, former governor, that Dr. Zucker served as your commissioner of health during the COVID crisis?” Stefanik asked.
“Yes,” Cuomo replied.
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Stefanik then followed up, asking Cuomo if he was aware that Zucker had testified before the committee that the directive was directly prompted by a request made to Cuomo himself.
“I’m not aware of his testimony, no,” Cuomo said defensively.
“Well, that was what he testified to this committee,” Stefanik shot back, exposing a glaring discrepancy in Cuomo’s defense. She went on to detail how Cuomo’s office allegedly altered the way nursing home deaths were counted, hiding the true mortality rate from the public.
“This investigation found that you, former governor, and your most senior aides, made a deliberate decision to exclude certain COVID-19 related nursing home deaths to hide and undercount the actual mortality rate in nursing homes,” Stefanik said. “Governor Cuomo changed the methodology of counting nursing home fatalities to exclude out-of-facility deaths.”
But the congresswoman’s most cutting moment came when she questioned Cuomo about the timing of his multi-million dollar book deal, which he negotiated while New York nursing homes were experiencing some of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the country. “My question to you is, when were you negotiating for your multi-million dollar advance deals for your book as seniors were dying in nursing homes?” Stefanik asked.
Cuomo deflected, accusing Stefanik of making up facts, but Stefanik quickly shot back, “You’re the one making up facts. You’re the one who undercounted nursing home deaths.” The exchange culminated in a dramatic moment when Stefanik demanded Cuomo turn around, face the families in the audience who had lost loved ones, and apologize.
“You apologized today, but there are families sitting here. I want you to turn around, look them in the eye, and apologize, which you have failed to do. Will you do it?” Stefanik demanded. Cuomo, clearly rattled, refused to oblige, instead accusing Stefanik of engaging in “political theater.”
Stefanik ended her questioning with a final blow: “There is a reason why you were the former Governor of New York State. And you will never hold elected office again.”
