Cuomo defends COVID-19 nursing home decisions in combative House committee hearing

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced blistering criticism in an often combative congressional subcommittee hearing Tuesday over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during the time when the virus was spreading through nursing homes.

Republicans who questioned the Democrat zeroed in on a controversial directive his administration issued in March of 2020 that initially barred nursing homes from refusing to accept patients just because they’d had COVID-19. More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were released from hospitals into nursing homes under the directive, which was rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York called the directive “deadly.” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, said it was inconsistent with federal guidance and its consequences were “dangerous and disastrous.” Republicans accused Cuomo of staging a cover-up to hide mistakes that endangered nursing home residents.

“Governor, you own this. It’s your name on the letterhead. This is your directive, whether you knew about it or not," Wenstrup said. “You’re the leader. The buck stops with you, or at least it should."