Former Gov. Cuomo to testify publicly on New York nursing home deaths. What to know

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will testify publicly before a congressional subcommittee Sept. 10 investigating nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday will be livestreamed online, providing a high-profile national platform for the years-long saga surrounding the Cuomo administration’s handling of the pandemic’s darkest days.

Cuomo previously testified about the more than 15,000 nursing home deaths in New York during a closed-door hearing of the subcommittee, which plans to release transcripts of that hearing and related testimony from top Cuomo aides.

To better understand the federal hearing, check out the following overview of USA TODAY Network’s recent coverage of the New York nursing home crisis.

New York COVID report slams Cuomo

Cuomo’s takeover of public health policy during the pandemic topped a list of emergency response mistakes made in New York's handling of the historic global crisis, an independent report asserted in June.

That 262-page report — by outside consulting firm Olson Group Ltd. — concluded Cuomo’s decision to center the state’s response in the Executive Chamber and, more specifically, in his office was "a significant and unnecessary mistake."

Timeline: Andrew Cuomo resigns: A timeline of the New York governor's life and political career

Scandal: How Cuomo's sexual harassment, nursing home scandals unraveled

But the analysis left unanswered key questions surrounding the Cuomo administration's directive in March 2020 that nursing homes admit COVID-19 patients.

The review concluded, in part, that the directive followed federal "standards to have planning and processes in place to execute medical surge strategies" while matching the scientific understanding of the issue at the time.

But the report lacked details on how the nursing home policy was crafted, as well as which state officials made the final decisions that resulted in thousands of COVID-19 patients being admitted to nursing homes.

Some lawmakers and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli have since criticized the report, calling it inadequate due in part to some misleading — and inaccurate — data analysis and findings. New York spent $4.3 million in tax dollars on the report.

What to expect at Cuomo COVID hearing

Cuomo, a Democrat, in June also testified to the Republican-led Congressional committee that he was "unaware" of the March 2020 order until a month after it was issued, the committee posted on X. That social media post suggested the issue of which state official — or officials — made the decision will be central to the hearing Tuesday.

Politics: NY COVID report finds 'significant and unnecessary' mistakes, confusion during response

In a statement about agreeing to the hearing, Cuomo also repeated his prior claim that a dozen other states had issued the same policy as New York’s March 2020 directive. He included quotes from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz —the Democrats' 2024 vice presidential candidate — that defended the policies as something “everyone was doing.”

But the policies in some states included key differences in language and guidance that should impact debate about the issue during the hearing. USA TODAY Network reported in May 2020 about some of those differences, such as how some states, including New York and New Jersey, issued clarifications at the time to address concerns raised by nursing homes and residents’ families.

NY nursing home reforms stumble

Meanwhile, some of the state laws approved during the pandemic to better protect vulnerable nursing home residents have failed to deliver results so far.

Nursing homes: NY says 400 nursing homes violated staffing law. Why none have faced penalties yet

New York’s nursing home staffing mandate took effect almost two years ago, but none of the more than 400 nursing homes that violated the law have faced penalties or fines so far.

As evidence of resident abuse and neglect in understaffed nursing homes mounted, enforcement of the staffing minimums remained pending as regulators and facilities debated the severity of penalties, state officials said in June.

How to watch Cuomo nursing home hearing

The hearing will be livestreamed online at oversight.house.gov .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former Gov. Cuomo to testify publicly on New York nursing home deaths. What to know