Former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is set to testify publicly before a congressional committee on September 10 to answer questions about the high number of deaths in New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 outbreak. The announcement was made by the House Special Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Cuomo, who previously testified in a private session to the Republican-dominated panel, will now participate in a public hearing. This session aims to examine decisions made under his administration that likely impacted the well-being of thousands of people during the height of the pandemic.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a Republican from Ohio and the subcommittee chairman, stressed the importance of Cuomo’s upcoming testimony. He said the families of the roughly 15,000 people who died at these facilities deserve an explanation about the policies that may have contributed to these tragedies.
The hearing is part of a broader effort by the subcommittee to investigate the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and assess the effectiveness and public health consequences of policy decisions, particularly in vulnerable populations such as those in nursing homes.
This public testimony is expected to shed more light on the federal and state responses to the pandemic, focusing on New York’s approach to managing the nursing home crisis. Stakeholders and citizens alike are eagerly awaiting this significant testimony, hoping for clarity and accountability from the former governor’s actions during one of the most challenging public health crises in recent memory.
