Gov. Andrew Cuomo met with President Joe Biden on Friday at the White House, part of a bipartisan group of state and local officials to discuss the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cuomo's attendance at the meeting came as he faces a growing controversy surrounding the disclosure of the deaths of nursing home and long-term care facility residents in the state. 

"Gov. Cuomo is governor of one of the largest states in the country, one of the places where the pandemic hit hardest, hit earliest, where many Americans are still struggling to get vaccinated, to make ends meet, so it was important for him to be part of the meeting," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. 

The meeting was "not to give anyone a stamp of approval or to get their stamp of approval" but to gain the perspective of state and local leaders, she said. 

"He's committed to partnering with governors and mayors," Psaki said. 

Cuomo, the chairman of the National Governors Association, said in a joint statement with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson the meeting was a "productive" one as New York faces billions of dollars in direct aid from the federal government. 

"The finish line of this pandemic is in sight, and this support will give states and territories the resources we need to reach it, while continuing to provide the essential services our constituents rely on," he said.