Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., released a detailed timeline this week of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic, specifically in regards to his policy forcing nursing homes to accept COVID-19-positive patients.
“The facts are simple: Governor Cuomo issued an order sending thousands of contagious COVID-19 positive patients into nursing homes and then he lied about the death toll,” said Scalise, the ranking minority member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, in a statement.
“Governor Cuomo endangered the most vulnerable, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of nursing home patients and caused unimaginable grief for their families and loved ones,” he added.
Scalise also joined Republicans’ demand for a full investigation into Cuomo’s nursing home policy, citing a recent admission by one of Cuomo’s top aides that the governor intentionally lied about the coronavirus death toll in long-term care facilities to avoid a federal investigation.
The timeline also includes recent allegations made against Cuomo by Democratic New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim, who accused the governor of threatening to “destroy his life” if he did not help Cuomo cover-up the scandal.
The day after Kim’s allegation, CNN banned Cuomo’s brother, Chris Cuomo, from covering his brother, the timeline notes.
Scalise’s timeline shows that Republicans tried to investigate Cuomo’s nursing-home policy several times but were prevented from doing so by Cuomo himself or by congressional Democrats.
Now, however, several Democrats have joined the GOP in calling for an investigation into Cuomo.
Democratic state Sen. Andrew Goundardes, joined by 14 other New York State Democratic senators to express support for a thorough investigation into Cuomo.
State legislature should “reconsider its broad grant of emergency powers to the governor,” the Democrats said in a statement.
“It is clear that the expanded emergency powers granted to the governor are no longer appropriate,” the statement said.
