TRENTON, N.J. – The U.S. House of Representatives’ senior Republican and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy traded letters this week, an exchange resulting in a serious charge leveled by the former against the latter:
A cover-up.
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The back-and-forth began when Rep. Steve Scaliese (R-LA) sent letters to four governors (including Murphy) asking them for information pertaining to mass COVID-19 deathes in their respective states’ long-term care facilities. Murphy responded refusing Scaliese on the grounds that the Republicans is not a committee chairman – only the ranking member of his committee given the Democrats’ control of the House.
Scaliese responded by accusing Murphy of “covering up data on nursing home deaths.” State legislative Republicans have leveled similar accusations in recent weeks.
New Jersey had lost 6,377 long-term care residents to the coronavirus, roughly half of the state’s total 12,835 death toll.
https://twitter.com/SteveScalise/status/1272661471382700032
NEW: NJ Gov. Murphy says that he won’t answer questions about his nursing home order because he doesn’t have to.
What is he hiding? Why won’t Democrats join us in trying to get this information?
40% of U.S. deaths were nursing home residents; grieving families deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/X8IR2wRGmA
— Select Committee Republicans (@SelectGOP) June 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/SteveScalise/status/1273702830927425536
