New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not having a great 2021.
The scandal surrounding his office’s failure to report accurate numbers with relation to how many people died in nursing homes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust him back into the daily spotlight, but this time he’s likely not to win any additional international Emmy awards for his contributions.
Instead, it appears as if he’ll be stripped soon of the emergency powers granted to him during the pandemic, which are set to expire in a few months anyway, but furious New York Democrats and Republicans are already making huge moves to remove the powers as soon as possible.
According to the Post Millenial, last week, NY Dems issued a statement on why they believe Cuomo should no longer have the extraordinary emergency powers.
“Without exception, the New York State Constitution calls for the Legislature to govern as a co-equal branch of government. While COVID-19 has tested the limits of our people and state – and, early during the pandemic, required the government to restructure decision making to render rapid, necessary public health judgments – it is clear that the expanded emergency powers granted to the Governor are no longer appropriate,” a statement read.
Just last week, Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa kicked a hornet’s nest after she admitted on a telephone conference call with state Democrats that the governor’s office withheld the true number of nursing home deaths, pointing to fear that Trump’s Department of Justice would come after them and create a political storm.
DeRosa actually apologized to the group on the call, but the backlash was swift and furious, with many on the call refusing to accept the apology.
Fast-forwarding to this week, it was announced that a vote to strip Cuomo of his powers could come within a week or so. That news came after the bombshell revelation that Biden’s Department of Justice and the FBI have launched federal investigations into “Cuomo’s coronavirus task force with regard to its policies affecting nursing homes and long-term care facilities in response to the coronavirus outbreak.”
Cuomo was recently pressed during a news conference about the growing scandal and asked if he was willing to apologize for anything. Of course, none of it was his fault, rather, he blamed a “toxic political environment” with subtle suggestions that it was basically President Trump’s fault. He also pointed to what he kept referring to as a “void” in the information that allowed conspiracy theories to build.
The situation is no longer a conspiracy theory — it has been confirmed by not only a top aide but also the New York Attorney General, who released a report earlier this month that nursing home deaths may have been underreported by some 40 percent or more.
A growing list of politicians are also calling on Cuomo’s resignation, which would probably save more lives at this point than any of his COVID-19 protocols.
ARTICLE SOURCE: thefederalistpapers.org
