House Republicans Request Investigation into Cuomo’s Nursing Home Order
Republicans in New York are asking top health officials from the Trump administration, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, to investigate whether former Governor Andrew Cuomo violated federal safety guidelines during the pandemic. The focus is on a controversial directive issued on March 25, 2020, which mandated nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals.
This directive has come under scrutiny, particularly since it coincided with a time when over 15,000 residents in New York nursing homes died from COVID-19. The order was issued at a critical point during the pandemic, which has led to ongoing debates about its impact.
In a letter, lawmakers requested a formal judgment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the compliance of the New York State Department of Health’s directive with federal regulations. This communication was sent to CMS Administrator Oz and acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill with the aim of clarification.
The letter was co-signed by Republican officials including Elise Stefanik, Claudia Tenney, Andrew Garbarino, and Nick Larota. It arrives at a time when Cuomo is considering a bid for the New York City mayoralty after losing a Democratic primary to Rep. Zoran Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
Cuomo’s actions during the pandemic continue to weigh heavily on him. Recently, he publicly apologized to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community for lockdown measures that restricted large gatherings, including religious services.
There’s been frustration among lawmakers regarding the lack of response from Trump’s health team to an earlier request they made on March 6, relating to Cuomo’s nursing home order. “After more than six months, we haven’t received a response yet,” they noted.
This situation is complicated for RFK Jr., given that Cuomo is his stepbrother and was previously married to his sister, Kerry Kennedy. The GOP-led House Selection Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic emphasized that the Cuomo directive does not align with CMS and CDC guidelines, raising concerns that the directive amounted to “medical malpractice.”
Furthermore, the Justice Department is reportedly investigating Cuomo for potentially misleading Congress about nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
Families who have lost loved ones in nursing homes to COVID-19 have applauded the Republican efforts to bring attention to the issue. Peter Irviney, whose father Norman passed away after a stay in a Brooklyn nursing home, expressed gratitude for this support.
In a response to the accusations, the Cuomo campaign criticized Republicans for politicizing the nursing home issue, asserting that the March 25 directive was in alignment with federal guidance. Cuomo’s spokesman referenced reports indicating that the state’s nursing home policies were consistent with federal recommendations throughout the pandemic.
Despite the complaints and investigations, Cuomo acknowledged in testimony that he viewed the March 25 order as a significant failure in the historical context of the pandemic. Some independent studies have suggested that the directive led to increased fatalities among nursing home residents during its initial implementation.
