thank you chairman wstr today is long overdue and just as a reminder for the public tuning in we are here today on behalf of the over 15,000 vulnerable seniors in nursing homes who died because of Governor Cuomo's fatal executive order on March 25th damning them to this horrible fate including constituents in my district and every congressional district in New York state I also want to recognize the families and Advocates who have been working tirelessly on behalf of their loved ones amidst this grief who have been smeared attacked and denigrated by Governor Cuomo and his most senior AIDS let me begin first after months of inquiry and investigation we now know irrefutably what New Yorkers have known for years that Governor Cuomo himself and as most senior AIDS ordered directed and executed this deadly executive order counter to CMS and CDC guidance our investigation also reveals a bipartisan investigation that the disgraced former governor and his top AIDS were caught covering up their culpability and guilt to selfishly save their shredded reputations I want to start with the March 25th directive isn't it correct former Governor that Dr zuker served as your Commissioner of health during the covid crisis yes and you have stated and shared that you have great respect for Dr zuker's work in professionalism you have said that in the past is that correct I don't know if I've used those words but I'll thank your word for it do you have respect for Dr zooker and his professionalism are you aware that Dr zooker testified that the March directive was prompted by a direct request to you former Governor Cuomo from the greater New York Hospital Association are you aware of that fact I'm not aware of his testimony no well that was what he testified to this committee Dr zooker also went on to say quote greater New York Hospital Association called the governor and the team we were all there in a conversation end quote I also want to add are you aware that another staffer at the Department of Health testified that the March 25th order did receive sign off from the executive chamber are you aware of that fact uh no I'm aware of the testimony to the exact opposite that you received uh that that is incorrect he said yes absolutely that's not the testimony that I have before me the testimony I have before me when he was asked whether the March 25th order was signed off by the executive chamber the answer was yes absolutely and on top of that Dr zuker testified that quote everything goes to the governor's office and by the way Governor you and I both know that under your terrible leadership in New York everything does go through the governor's office my followup is it wasn't just the directive itself Governor it was the coverup this investigation found that you former governor and your most senior AIDS made a deliberate decision to exclude certain covid-19 related nursing home deaths to hide and undercount the actual mortality rate in nursing homes and for the public Governor Cuomo changed the methodology of counting nursing home fatalities to exclude out of facility deaths to undercount those I want to ask you what period of time were you negotiating for your book deal congresswoman if there is a fact in what you said no I'm asking you a question I'm asking you a question what dates did you negotiate for your book deal that is the question before you today answering a question that question that I asked my testimony says during that time did you have any discussions with the executive chamber regarding the need for guidance that's not the testimony I'm referring to absolutely was the answer Governor absolutely you're throwing your staff under the bus you are culpable for this my question to you is when were you negotiating for your multi-million dollar advance deal for your book as seniors were dying in nursing homes that is the question in front of you you can't make up facts congresswoman you're the one making up facts you're the one who undercounted nursing home deaths you're the one who I want to ask right now you apologize today but there are family sitting here I want you to turn around look them in the eye and apologize which you have failed to do will you do it this is not about political theater it's about this about accountability why did 1.2 million Americans Die Why did more Americans die than any you're the former Governor dis president lie to the people was under your name it was countered to CDC and CS president Trump this is about those seniors Governor to hear from you in the ey that you apologize that you are negotiating for a multi-million dollar book deal it is a disgrace there is a reason why you were the former Governor of New York State and you will never hold elected office again I yield back I now recognize Miss Dingle from Michigan Mr chairman I have a point of order I I believe the rules in decorum prohibit Applause and booze and other Expressions during a hearing the audience will please refrain from Applause or other voices of concern from the audience you've said a lot today in your opening statement you attacked president Trump in his response I'd also like to remind you of statements that you've said on April 13th of 2020 on the Howard Stern Show you said and I quote Trump has delivered for New York he has and then you talked about Trump sending the ship the Comfort ship mind you that the Comfort ship was sent to New York on March 30th of 2020 that was just a few days after you signed the directive to put covid-19 patients into nursing homes on March 25th which led to murdering people's parents grandparents and great-grandparents yes murdering them today you said and I'll quote you you said that high deaths in nursing homes is a conspiracy theory would you like to turn to the people here in this room today whose mothers died and their fathers died in these nursing homes and call them conspiracy theorist do you have the audacity to do that Mr said that you said that today you're under you're under oath there is video there's video of all of your words today you can be fact checked we'll do that when this is over yeah you also blamed staff for spreading covid in nursing homes not covid patients you blamed the staff but yet on March 25th I didn't ask you a question I'm talking to you on March 25th you signed a directive to put covid-19 patients into nursing homes on March 30th president Trump sent the Comfort ship and you did not put covid patients in the comfort ship you didn't send them to the Javis Medical Center that President Trump had built which was a field Hospital you didn't send them there you put them in nursing homes which is murder that's not no that's murdering people I'm saying that right now and I'm also saying what a lot of people believe what your actions did let's also talk about some other things things that you've done Mr Cuomo let's talk about a tweet that you made because there's an indictment out on a woman named Linda Sun Linda sun and I'll read this indictment it says on April 4th April 4th politician number one politician number one publicly thanked PRC official number one both in public remarks in and in a post on Twitter that's this right here for helping arrange the donation which was scheduled to arrive at JFK Airport in Queens New York that day so Mr Cuomo you were thanking China the PRC while you had a woman named Linda Sun working for you who has now been identified as a Chinese spy now today you have come before the American people in our committee you have insulted many people including people in this room and people watching this hearing who lost their loved ones because of your March 25th directive and at the same time you were thanking the Chinese government while you had a Chinese spy working for you so Mr Cuomo I've read a lot about you including the fact that 13 women that work for you accused you of sexually inappropriate behavior which thanks to the Democrat doj helped you out of that but I'd like to say this and I'll ask you are you either the dumbest tool of the Chinese government or did you know for a fact that you were being used by the the Chinese spy that was working for you I've read about a lot about you too congresswoman uh the I think this is a very serious matter about serious matter um the she was a junior member in my team I wouldn't recognize her if she was in this room today uh but I think it is a serious matter I don't think this was just in New York I think there is an infiltration of uh Chinese maybe Russian uh operatives the Democrat party's definitely had a problem with Chinese spy yes you're right and I want to remind you you're under oath yeah and uh I think it's a it's a serious issue and I think the federal government and the state government should work together on it the state government doesn't really have the ability to do the international reconnaissance but the federal government does and uh I think they should work together to