“Democrats and Republicans are expected to disagree on issues. It is a sad day, however, when our counterparts are attempting to shamelessly politicize the deaths of our fellow New Yorkers. It is remarkable yet unsurprising that the GOP Chairs and Assemblyman Schmitt – who literally boarded a January 6th bus of DC-bound seditionists to root on their efforts to overturn an election – learned absolutely nothing from the travesty of the insurrection. We need to rid our political discourse of conspiracy theories and outright lies yet, on the heels of enabling the attempted coup, Assemblyman Schmitt seems intent on doubling down. He ought to resign in disgrace.

“Here are the facts: a number of chairmen and chairwomen of Senate and Assembly committees met with the Administration and DOH Commissioner last week. To be clear, every Senator and Assembly Member who is doing their job meets with agency officials on a regular basis. The nursing homes answer that has elicited much attention over the past five days was prompted by a pointed question by Senator Skoufis himself as he continues to hold government actors accountable. This comes on the heels of over 40 hours of oversight hearings that Senator Skoufis led as Chairman of the investigations committee. When there were outstanding answers, he threatened subpoenas; within a week and a half, those answers on nursing home deaths were produced.

“In just two years, Senator Skoufis has demonstrated he’s the most effective Chairman of the Senate’s investigations committee that the chamber has seen in recent history. His independence is second to none.

“We saw on January 6th what happens when big lies are told and people are whipped into a frenzy by irresponsible political hacks. We won’t stand by and let it happen again which is why Assemblyman Schmitt needs to resign.”

Kristen Stavisky, Chair of the Rockland County Democratic Committee
Brett Broge, Chair of the Orange County Democratic Committee
Kelleigh McKenzie, Chair of the Ulster County Democratic Committee

You can read the initial Republican statement here.