NJ Republicans to probe Murphy's COVID response without Democrats on board. What's at stake

By Stacey Barchenger and Dustin Racioppi from the Bergen Record on March 4, 2021

As Republican lawmakers forge ahead with hearings to investigate the Murphy administration's response to the coronavirus, they will do so without the cooperation of the Legislature's majority party.

And the Murphy administration has rejected attempts by Republicans to have top officials appear before the panel.

The lack of cooperation from Democrats weakens the Republican effort to provide legislative oversight following a year in which Gov. Phil Murphy has led primarily through executive order.

Support from Senate President Stephen Sweeney to probe the administration's response to the virus that killed more than 21,000 New Jerseyans has disappeared.

No Democrats are expected to join the panel of seven Republicans who will begin hearings on Friday, doing so outside the scope of the Legislature and with limited power to compel testimony.

“We’ve done everything we could holding out that olive branch" to Democrats, said Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, R-Morris, an outspoken critic of the administration's handling of COVID who will lead Friday's hearing.

The Republican panel is hoping to probe policy and "management failures" of the Murphy administration, with an eye on making changes.

"I'm interested in the public policy," Pennacchio said, "what we did, what others did, what we could have done better."

The review will include a series of hearings that are independent of the Legislature.

The first hearing begins at 10 a.m. Friday and will be live-streamed.

Pennacchio said the focus is on long-term care facilities and the state's veterans' homes, where more than 7,900 residents and staffers died of the virus. Family members of residents, advocates and experts will testify.

The panel had invited Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and acting Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, Pennachio said, "but they're not participating."

Murphy, who said Wednesday "we have been completely at every step of the way transparent," did not offer an explanation why his Cabinet officials would not appear before the committee.

"We don’t begrudge anyone’s right to assess what’s gone on," he said, then reiterated that his administration will conduct a "full accounting of everything."

At least two more meetings are expected, though dates have not yet been scheduled. Those meetings will focus on the impact of Murphy's orders on small businesses and on state services like unemployment and motor vehicles.

Republican lawmakers leading the charge are: Sens. Pennacchio; Kristin Corrado of Passaic County; Declan O’Scanlon of Monmouth County; Michael Testa of Cumberland County, and Steven Oroho of Sussex County; and Assembly members BettyLou DeCroce of Morris County and Christopher D. DePhillips of Bergen County.