House Lawmakers Scrutinize Cuomo, Who Rose to Fame During Covid.
A House panel will question the former New York governor regarding his pandemic response, while he considers a possible reentry into the political arena.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Andrew Cuomo, the former governor who gained national recognition during the peak of the Covid pandemic, is set to face intense scrutiny regarding his pandemic management and has indicated he will mount a vigorous defense.
On Tuesday, Cuomo will be questioned publicly by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, a group examining governmental responses to the public health crisis.
The Republican-controlled panel has indicated they will focus their questions on Cuomo’s administration’s nursing home policies and the underutilization of federal resources like the USNS Comfort hospital ship, which was deployed to New York City to support health care providers.
GOP lawmakers contend that the hearing is a nonpartisan effort aimed at preventing future errors during crises, insisting that Cuomo must address these pressing concerns. In response, Cuomo’s team has expressed their contempt for the inquiry, accusing Republicans of acting on behalf of former President Donald Trump.
Cuomo initially rose to national fame during the early months of the pandemic, but his popularity waned following his resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied. His televised Covid briefings at the time contributed to his fame, making his subsequent fall from grace particularly striking.
This hearing occurs during a sensitive time for Cuomo, who has been contemplating a political comeback, whether as a candidate for New York City mayor or even seeking to reclaim his former position as governor.
Positioning the questioning as a partisan attack on him could provide Cuomo with a strategic advantage. While Covid might hold less political weight for voters now, the hearing may evoke potent memories related to pandemic responses.
“For most New Yorkers, life is as close to back to normal as possible,” stated Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg. “But Republicans asking Cuomo about what happened in the early days of the pandemic and how that hearing goes could absolutely trigger significant memories for a lot of New Yorkers.”
Having served as governor of New York for ten years until his resignation in 2021, Cuomo is experienced in confronting congressional members, having previously appeared before lawmakers during his time as Housing Secretary under President Clinton. He participated in a private session with the subcommittee earlier this year.
In these scenarios, Cuomo often exhibits a mix of combative and legalistic approaches.
The ramifications of the hearing may be less pronounced since it coincides with a televised debate featuring Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The specific challenges Cuomo will encounter remain unclear, but he is likely to face tough questioning.
Republicans on the subcommittee emphasize the importance of understanding decisions made during the pandemic, particularly regarding a March 2020 state requirement mandating nursing homes and adult care facilities to accept Covid-positive patients.
“Thousands of New Yorkers died,” remarked Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only New Yorker on the subcommittee. “They were Republicans, independents, Democrats. It really has nothing to do with politics, and it’s about getting answers and accountability for these families.”
Malliotakis accused Cuomo of trying to evade responsibility. “He shows no remorse,” she said. “No accountability and no remorse.”
Complementing these inquiries, Republicans also plan to question Cuomo regarding the federal indictment of Linda Sun, a former state employee accused of acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. Sun, who worked under both Cuomo and his successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, was involved in securing PPE and ventilators from Chinese representatives and businesses.
While some GOP lawmakers aim to maintain focus on Cuomo, the former governor is likely to attempt to connect his critics to Trump. Cuomo has long maintained that criticisms of his pandemic response, particularly regarding the nursing home directive—which was rescinded more than a month after its issuance—stem from attacks aligned with Trump.
In his Covid-era memoir, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Cuomo suggested that allegations related to nursing homes were fueled by “Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post” as part of a broader Republican effort to shift blame onto Democratic governors for the death toll.
Cuomo has consistently argued that his administration relied on federal guidelines and that the nursing home directive was legal, although the state order did not reference these federal guidelines.
Moreover, a 48-page memo released by the GOP-led subcommittee on Monday reveals that Cuomo and his top aides reportedly attempted to cover up nursing home death figures and underreported fatalities, as they sought to control the PR fallout from the nursing home policy.
Cuomo’s spokesperson dismissed the House Republicans’ memo, calling it “all smoke and mirrors.”
Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson has criticized Cuomo for what he termed a “nursing home massacre,” and Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi believes the forthcoming hearing will be biased against him.
In an interview, Azzopardi expressed strong criticism of the subcommittee Republicans, claiming they were attempting to “run interference” for Trump while downplaying his pandemic actions.
“This MAGA committee of foot doctors, disgraced, demoted naval captains-slash-Trump physicians, and Q-Anon nuts are running interference for Trump and his Covid mismanagement,” he asserted.
Democrats on the select panel, however, have not rallied to Cuomo’s aid. They have made it clear that the hearings will instead scrutinize Trump’s pandemic response in light of the upcoming November election, aiming to conduct an “objective look at the missteps that allowed COVID-19 to spread in our nation’s nursing homes—including the Trump Administration’s failure to ensure adequate supply of testing and PPE that paved the way for the virus to ravage our most vulnerable.”
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, Cuomo will be questioned publicly by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, a group examining governmental responses to the public health crisis.
The Republican-controlled panel has indicated they will focus their questions on Cuomo’s administration’s nursing home policies and the underutilization of federal resources like the USNS Comfort hospital ship, which was deployed to New York City to support health care providers.
GOP lawmakers contend that the hearing is a nonpartisan effort aimed at preventing future errors during crises, insisting that Cuomo must address these pressing concerns. In response, Cuomo’s team has expressed their contempt for the inquiry, accusing Republicans of acting on behalf of former President Donald Trump.
Cuomo initially rose to national fame during the early months of the pandemic, but his popularity waned following his resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied. His televised Covid briefings at the time contributed to his fame, making his subsequent fall from grace particularly striking.
This hearing occurs during a sensitive time for Cuomo, who has been contemplating a political comeback, whether as a candidate for New York City mayor or even seeking to reclaim his former position as governor.
Positioning the questioning as a partisan attack on him could provide Cuomo with a strategic advantage. While Covid might hold less political weight for voters now, the hearing may evoke potent memories related to pandemic responses.
“For most New Yorkers, life is as close to back to normal as possible,” stated Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg. “But Republicans asking Cuomo about what happened in the early days of the pandemic and how that hearing goes could absolutely trigger significant memories for a lot of New Yorkers.”
Having served as governor of New York for ten years until his resignation in 2021, Cuomo is experienced in confronting congressional members, having previously appeared before lawmakers during his time as Housing Secretary under President Clinton. He participated in a private session with the subcommittee earlier this year.
In these scenarios, Cuomo often exhibits a mix of combative and legalistic approaches.
The ramifications of the hearing may be less pronounced since it coincides with a televised debate featuring Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The specific challenges Cuomo will encounter remain unclear, but he is likely to face tough questioning.
Republicans on the subcommittee emphasize the importance of understanding decisions made during the pandemic, particularly regarding a March 2020 state requirement mandating nursing homes and adult care facilities to accept Covid-positive patients.
“Thousands of New Yorkers died,” remarked Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only New Yorker on the subcommittee. “They were Republicans, independents, Democrats. It really has nothing to do with politics, and it’s about getting answers and accountability for these families.”
Malliotakis accused Cuomo of trying to evade responsibility. “He shows no remorse,” she said. “No accountability and no remorse.”
Complementing these inquiries, Republicans also plan to question Cuomo regarding the federal indictment of Linda Sun, a former state employee accused of acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. Sun, who worked under both Cuomo and his successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, was involved in securing PPE and ventilators from Chinese representatives and businesses.
While some GOP lawmakers aim to maintain focus on Cuomo, the former governor is likely to attempt to connect his critics to Trump. Cuomo has long maintained that criticisms of his pandemic response, particularly regarding the nursing home directive—which was rescinded more than a month after its issuance—stem from attacks aligned with Trump.
In his Covid-era memoir, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Cuomo suggested that allegations related to nursing homes were fueled by “Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post” as part of a broader Republican effort to shift blame onto Democratic governors for the death toll.
Cuomo has consistently argued that his administration relied on federal guidelines and that the nursing home directive was legal, although the state order did not reference these federal guidelines.
Moreover, a 48-page memo released by the GOP-led subcommittee on Monday reveals that Cuomo and his top aides reportedly attempted to cover up nursing home death figures and underreported fatalities, as they sought to control the PR fallout from the nursing home policy.
Cuomo’s spokesperson dismissed the House Republicans’ memo, calling it “all smoke and mirrors.”
Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson has criticized Cuomo for what he termed a “nursing home massacre,” and Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi believes the forthcoming hearing will be biased against him.
In an interview, Azzopardi expressed strong criticism of the subcommittee Republicans, claiming they were attempting to “run interference” for Trump while downplaying his pandemic actions.
“This MAGA committee of foot doctors, disgraced, demoted naval captains-slash-Trump physicians, and Q-Anon nuts are running interference for Trump and his Covid mismanagement,” he asserted.
Democrats on the select panel, however, have not rallied to Cuomo’s aid. They have made it clear that the hearings will instead scrutinize Trump’s pandemic response in light of the upcoming November election, aiming to conduct an “objective look at the missteps that allowed COVID-19 to spread in our nation’s nursing homes—including the Trump Administration’s failure to ensure adequate supply of testing and PPE that paved the way for the virus to ravage our most vulnerable.”
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
