Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today led the entire New York Republican delegation in expressing concern over Governor Kathy Hochul’s Executive Order initially forcing 32 New York hospitals to cease elective procedures. This order applies to procedures scheduled to occur on or after Thursday, December 9.
“Far-Left Governor Kathy Hochul continues her authoritarian power grab at the expense of the North Country,” Stefanik said. “She has already created a workforce crisis in our hospitals with her authoritarian vaccine mandates, and now she is doubling down on her failed policies. Our rural hospitals have suffered enough from this pandemic, and it is senseless to punish them more at this critical time of need.”
Among the 32 hospitals immediately impacted, eight serve the residents of New York’s 21st District, including Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, Alice Hyde Medical Center, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and Albany Medical Center Hospital.
“Your order claims to boost hospital capacity by limiting these procedures but fails to address a main driver of this issue, the healthcare workforce shortage that your illegal vaccine mandate has exacerbated. We urge you to immediately cease both your order to halt elective procedures for certain hospitals and implementation of your vaccine mandate on our healthcare workers to truly boost hospital capacity and safeguard access to care for all New Yorkers,” the lawmakers wrote.
