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Lines are being drawn as dueling news conferences took place around the noon hour Tuesday. State Republicans were again seeking accountability regarding the 15,000 nursing home deaths that have occurred in New York state since early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This should not be a partisan issue,” said Sen. Rob Ortt, Republican minority leader who was surrounded by members of his party, including U.S. Rep. Tom Reed of Corning and Sen. George Borrello of Sunset Bay during the conference in Albany.
As one side was calling for an investigation by the Department of Justice regarding those deaths, state Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo was holding what appeared to be an impromptu press conference at the same time. This irked those Republicans who were united in their call during the gathering.
“I never heard the governor calling an unscheduled press conference in my life,” Reed said.
But this delicate issue, deeply personal and filled with grief, has the look of a major showdown. Last week, Reed -- in a conference call with area media -- said Cuomo’s days “were numbered” in Albany. Unsurprisingly, Cuomo has shined light on other aspects of the pandemic in recent days. His focus has been on vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations and positivity rates of COVID-19 that continue to decline.
Republicans, however, believe what went wrong in care facilities must be addressed. “This is about families in New York that have suffered tragedies,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay.