Scalise demands Biden rescind praise of Cuomo as 'gold standard' of COVID-19 leadership

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House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-LA, called Tuesday for President Biden to rescind his past praise of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic amid the state’s burgeoning nursing home scandal.

Scalise referenced Biden’s remarks from an April 2020 appearance on "The Tonight Show" in which he described Cuomo as the "gold standard" of political leadership just weeks into the pandemic. The Louisiana lawmaker argued that Cuomo’s March 25 directive calling on nursing homes to accept recovering COVID-19 patients went against federal guidelines.

"I would call on President Biden to rescind his designation of Gov. Cuomo as the "gold standard" for COVID leadership. That’s not the gold standard," Scalise said at a press conference. "That is an epic failure that led to the deaths of thousands of people."

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Cuomo has since faced mounting calls to resign amid reports that his administration concealed the extent of COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes, as well as claims of several former staffers who accused the governor of sexual harassment. Six women have accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior.

Several lawmakers have called for a congressional inquiry into Cuomo’s handling of the nursing home crisis. In February, Scalise called for Cuomo to turn over all data related to his March 25 order for review.

Cuomo has denied wrongdoing in the crisis, arguing that his March 25 order was based on federal guidance at the time and did not play a significant role in the virus's spread. The order was later reversed.

"Gov. Cuomo needs to come clean with the American people, with the people of New York, parents, children who lost their grandparents and their parents, who demand answers, who deserve answers to that data," Scalise added. We’re going to continue fighting for those families."

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A federal investigation of the crisis led by US attorney’s office in Brooklyn is said to be focused on top members of Cuomo’s coronavirus task force. In February, a top Cuomo aide admitted the administration withheld data out of concern that it could be used in a federal probe under then-President Donald Trump.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki addressed Biden’s past praise of Cuomo during a February press briefing.

"At the time, which was I believe April of last year, the president spoke out and said positive things about a range of governors — Democrats and Republicans — who were stepping in when there was a vacuum of leadership at the federal level, when they were getting no information when they were getting no help, and no guidance from the former Trump administration," Psaki said.