New bill seeks to codify WHO withdrawal
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (TN) last week introduced a bill that would codify President Donald Trump’s order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) unless the organization undergoes major reform.
The US has been the single largest contributor to the WHO. It has donated far more than China, whose population is 300% larger than the US but which contributes 90% less. Nonetheless, China is widely believed to have controlled the WHO since 2006, when it pressured the World Health Assembly to appoint Chinese national Dr. Margaret Chan as director-general. She was succeeded by the WHO’s current director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a Marxist also installed by China. Tedros praised China for its “transparency” despite reports that it unleashed the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Tedros then ensured the virus was named “COVID-19” instead of “the Wuhan Virus.”
The day he took office, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the administration to begin withdrawing from the WHO, which includes cutting off funding and participation in WHO-led projects. The EO also ordered the Secretary of State to withdraw from negotiations on the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement and International Health Regulations.
At a rally in January, Trump signaled he might consider rejoining the WHO at a future date if officials “clean it up,” though he did not elaborate.
"Maybe we would consider doing it again, I don't know. Maybe we would. They would have to clean it up," he told a Las Vegas crowd.
Major reform required
On Thursday, Sen. Blackburn introduced legislation that would codify the withdrawal and make it permanent unless the organization undergoes a significant transformation. The WHO would have to disentangle from China, avoid politicizing humanitarian aid, grant Taiwan observer status, and protect aid from being diverted to Iran, North Korea, and Syria. It would also have to abandon support for destructive causes like abortion, climate change, and medical mutilation procedures for minors.
“The World Health Organization has long been a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party, grossly mismanaging the COVID pandemic and taking over a billion dollars of U.S. funding without advancing our interests,” Blackburn told The Daily Wire. “We must support President Trump’s actions to hold the WHO accountable by ensuring any future president who wants to rejoin meets concrete conditions of improvement.”
The bill was co-sponsored by Republican Senators John Barrasso (WY), Rick Scott (FL), and Ted Cruz (TX).
“American tax dollars cannot be used to fund the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) and World Health Organization’s (WHO) cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mismanagement, failed transparency, and lack of independence at the WHO is inexcusable,” Barrasso told The Daily Wire. “Our bill ensures that not one penny of taxpayer money is spent rejoining the WHO if serious reforms aren’t made to prevent another failed pandemic response.”
A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Republican Reps. Jodey Arrington (TX), Ron Estes (KS), Greg Steube (FL), and Anna Paulina Luna (FL).
