Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie), after making several attempts alongside his Assembly Minority colleagues to do so, is continuing to demand legislative hearings into the state Department of Health’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes under Gov. Cuomo’s authority, following a press conference held by legislative colleagues and others today regarding a bombshell report from the Attorney General’s Office that revealed the department was undercounting COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski), Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt (R-Tonawanda), “Fox and Friends” co-host Janice Dean and a Capital Region family who lost their loved one to COVID-19 in a nursing home last April all attended the event.

Tague is also reiterating his call for Gov. Cuomo’s emergency powers to be rescinded, as the assemblyman believes the governor has demonstrated he is incapable of managing the COVID-19 pandemic alone in light of the report’s strong allegations of wrongdoing. He is urging his Majority colleagues to issue subpoenas compelling administration officials to appear and testify at legislative hearings.

“Today we heard firsthand how the governor’s botched handling of this pandemic in our nursing homes has devastated families in our state. It’s long past time we hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable and take back the emergency powers from a governor who can’t be trusted to do what’s right for the ones we love,” said Tague. “The mounting evidence of attempts to cover up this staggering loss of life has become too great to ignore and, as New Yorkers, we should all recognize this has nothing to do with politics. We need to work together regardless of our partisanship to do what’s right for those who had their loved ones taken from them and assure they never have to endure a devastating loss like this again.”