OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
New Yorkers are calling for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation but Biden and Harris are not in support, according to Fox News.
Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries didn’t explicitly say Cuomo should resign but they did imply that he should seriously consider it.
Cuomo has recently been accused of sexually harassing multiple women and of covering up COVID deaths.
Sexual harassment allegations seem to be the primary reason people are calling for him to resign.
“Confronting and overcoming the Covid crisis requires sure and steady leadership. We commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct,” Sen. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said.
“Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.”
Biden said, “I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us.”
Cuomo was called to resign by at least 26 federal lawmakers and 135 New York state lawmakers.
85% of New York’s congressional delegation has called on Cuomo to resign.
“This week, the second sexual assault allegation and the sixth harassment allegation was leveled against Governor Cuomo,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“The fact that this latest report was so recent is alarming, and it raises concerns about the present safety and well-being of the administration’s staff,” Jerrold Nadler and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. “[W]e believe these women, we believe the reporting, we believe the Attorney General, and we believe the fifty-five members of the New York States legislature, including the State Senate Majority Leader, who have concluded that Governor Cuomo can no longer effectively lead in the face of so many challenges.”
Pelosi and Jeffries didn’t explicitly call on Cuomo to resign.
Pelosi reiterated that there is “zero tolerance” for sexual harassment.
“I think we should see the results of the investigation … but he may decide,” Pelosi responded. “And hopefully this result will be soon. What I’m saying is the governor should look inside his heart – he loves New York – to see if he can govern effectively. And that could be one of the considerations that he has.”
Following calls for his resignation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says New York Governor Andrew Cuomo "should look inside his heart… to see if he can govern effectively." https://t.co/h5sIQu1Wye pic.twitter.com/sDL9EEvFEn
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 14, 2021
“The allegations made against Governor Andrew Cuomo are very serious and deeply disturbing. Every woman who has come forward must be treated with dignity and respect throughout the entirety of this process,” Jeffries said.
“Under these extraordinary circumstances, the governor must seriously consider whether he can continue to effectively lead the state. No one is above the law,” he added.
Cuomo has refused to resign.
Cuomo apologized for making women feel uncomfortable.
“Women have a right to come forward and be heard and I encourage that fully. But I also want to be clear, there is still a question of the truth, I did not do what has been alleged. Period,” he said in a press conference. Cuomo has continued to encourage people to wait for the result of the investigation by James before making a judgment on whether he should stay in office.
“There are often many motivations for making an allegation and that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision.”
Cuomo said, saying those who are calling for him to resign are being “reckless and dangerous.”
From Fox News:
The governor and his office have also defended their nursing homes decision. Acting Counsel to the Governor Beth Garvey last week asserted that “no one … ever altered fatality data’ and that “the March 25 advisory was not a primary driver in deaths in nursing homes.”
