Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is scheduled to testify publicly before Congress on Tuesday afternoon, addressing his controversial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the more than 15,000 nursing home deaths that occurred in New York. This marks the first time Cuomo will speak publicly on the issue in front of lawmakers, following a closed-door House subcommittee hearing earlier this year.
Cuomo has faced widespread criticism for his administration’s decisions regarding nursing homes during the height of the pandemic, particularly a directive that required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients, which many believe contributed to the high death toll. Despite these allegations, Cuomo has defended his actions, citing the unprecedented nature of the crisis and decisions made with limited information at the time.
The House subcommittee on the coronavirus response, which has been investigating state and federal responses to the pandemic, will release its findings and livestream Cuomo’s testimony. This public hearing is expected to be a critical moment for the former governor, who stepped down in 2021 following both the nursing home controversy and allegations of sexual misconduct.
As the committee prepares to question Cuomo, the focus will be on the decisions made under his leadership and the impact they had on vulnerable populations. His testimony is likely to reignite the political debate over the pandemic response in one of the hardest-hit states.
