On Monday, New York state lawmakers sought to move forward with an effort to strip Governor Andrew Cuomo of the emergency powers assigned to him during the coronavirus pandemic amid controversy over how his government handled patient care in New York area nursing homes.
Republicans in the state legislature gave a news conference as they prepared to introduce legislation to immediately remove Cuomo’s executive powers, with the hope that it could be formally approved on Monday night.
“This is not following science. This is making decisions arbitrarily that may be best for the governor, but I am not sure if they are the best for the people of the state of New York,” said the minority leader in the State Assembly of New York. New York, Will Barclay. “This is the time to take away the executive powers from the governor.”
Cuomo’s expanded powers have enabled him to issue generalized executive orders to protect public health during the pandemic.
A Cuomo spokesman did not respond to Fox News’s request for comment.
New York State Sen. Pam Helming noted that Republicans had introduced a bill similar to the legislative one 14 times this year alone – with no success in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
Several Democratic lawmakers have also sent a resolution to formally censor Cuomo for “improper conduct for his position”, including an alleged cover-up for deaths in nursing homes and threatening behavior towards lawmakers. The censorship essentially serves as a public rebuke to Cuomo’s actions, although it does not entail any real punishment.
NY ASSEMBLYMAN DEMOCRATIC RON KIM SAYS THAT CUOMO SHOULD CONSIDER DEMONSTRATION
As previously reported by Fox News, New York state Democratic deputy Ron Kim recalled a phone conversation with Cuomo, where the governor reportedly spent ten minutes threatening his career.
Cuomo said he had a “long and hostile” relationship with Kim, and suggested that Kim’s claims stemmed from this contentious story.
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The controversy stems from the number of coronavirus-related deaths reported in nursing homes in New York. A report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James at the end of last month revealed that the total number of deaths in nursing homes in the state was higher than previously expected – underestimated by up to 55%. These numbers were attributed to a policy by which the state counted deaths that occurred in nursing homes and not those that later died in a hospital.
The Department of Health revealed shortly after James’ report was released that an additional 3,829 residents died after being transferred to hospitals, which represents about 40% more deaths than previously reported. At least 12,743 long-term care residents died of the virus by January 19.
New data released this month brought those numbers to at least 14,100.
An aide to the governor said the government hid data because it feared it would be used against them.
A family who lost their mother after she contracted COVID-19 in a New York nursing home told Fox News’ Sandra Smith on Monday that if Cuomo made a mistake, they would like to see him “confess”.
“We want justice for our mother … and we need to make sure that it never happens to everyone in nursing homes now and in the future,” said Cindy Lizzi.
Fox News’s Tara Prindville contributed to this report.