JUST IN: House Republicans Subpoena Andrew Cuomo

On Tuesday the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, chaired by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), issued a subpoena compelling former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to testify about his controversial COVID-19 nursing home policies. The deposition is set for May 24, marking a critical step in the investigation into one of the pandemic’s most heart-wrenching chapters.

Back in March, 2020, Cuomo issued a mandate requiring New York’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit or re-admit residents with potential COVID-19 exposure, a decision that has been criticized for its catastrophic impact on vulnerable populations.

Reports from the Cuomo Administration revealed that over 15,000 individuals succumbed in these facilities, raising suspicions of a cover-up to obscure the true death toll and deflect political fallout. Despite repeated attempts to arrange a voluntary interview, Cuomo’s alleged lack of cooperation has been a stumbling block for the Subcommittee’s work.

WATCH:

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration issued a directive that required nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state to admit or re-admit residents who had been hospitalized with COVID-19, once they were deemed stable enough to leave the hospital. This policy was intended to free up hospital beds for the expected surge in COVID-19 cases, as hospitals were becoming overwhelmed with patients.

🚨BREAKING🚨@COVIDSelect announces a subpoena to compel former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to appear for a deposition.

Governor Cuomo forced New York nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients. Americans died.

Accountability and honesty are non-negotiable👇 pic.twitter.com/WE307WQWbX

— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) March 5, 2024

The directive stated that nursing homes could not refuse to admit patients solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. The decision was controversial and became a significant point of criticism for Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic.

People argued that introducing individuals with COVID-19 into nursing home settings, where populations are particularly vulnerable due to age and pre-existing health conditions, contributed to the high number of deaths in these facilities.

The criticism stemmed from concerns that the policy inadvertently put at risk the very population that needed the most protection from the virus. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities experienced severe outbreaks, leading to a significant number of deaths among residents. The decision was seen by some as a failure to adequately protect vulnerable populations, and it raised questions about preparedness, decision-making, and the prioritization of resources during the pandemic.

In response to the backlash and the growing evidence of the policy’s impact, the New York State Department of Health and Governor Cuomo’s office defended the decision, stating that it was based on federal guidelines at the time and that the primary source of infection was asymptomatic staff and visitors, rather than resident admissions. However, the controversy continued, leading to calls for investigations and contributing to broader scrutiny of the state’s response to the pandemic.

The policy was eventually rescinded, but the impact and the decisions made during this period remain subjects of analysis and critique.

“It appears that politics, not medicine, was responsible for these decisions, and that while Mr. Cuomo is adept at seeking legal advice, he is not necessarily adept at seeking medical advice,” Wenstrup said on Tuesday. “Former Governor Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Wenstrup finished, “His testimony is crucial to uncover the circumstances that led to his misguided policies and for ensuring that fatal mistakes never happen again. It is well past time for Cuomo to stop dodging accountability to Congress and start answering honestly to the American people.”