The state AGs voiced their skepticism of giving more power to the WHO over the handling of a global health crisis, saying that the amendments go too far, the letter reads.
“First, the two proposed instruments would transform the WHO from an advisory, charitable organization into the world’s governor of public health. The WHO currently lacks authority to enforce its recommendations,” the letter says.
“Second, the federal government cannot delegate public health decisions to an international body. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t vest responsibility for public health policy with the federal government. It reserves those powers for the States. Even if the federal government had such power, Article II, Section 2 requires approval by the United States Senate,” the letter continues.
The letter also adds that the state AGs are worried about the amendments paving the way for “global surveillance infrastructure.” The current proposed amendments ask signatories to “cooperate, in accordance with national law, in preventing misinformation and disinformation,” the AGs write.
A coalition of GOP senators previously petitioned the president to ask him to refuse to give such powers to the WHO. Lawmakers will discuss the amendments at the World Health Assembly (WHA), which will take place from May 27 to June 1, Fox News reported. Members could delay the vote on the amendments to have more time to discuss the regulations, though the Biden administration has previously backed the May timeline, KFF reported.
Concerning the amendments, the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus believes that the proposal could help create a more “equitable global response” to future pandemics, according to KFF. Some of the elements being considered in the amendments include how different elements, including communications, financing and oversight, would be handled in the event of a global pandemic, KFF reported.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed fundamental flaws with the WHO and other public health institutions. These entities breached public trust and are unquestionably in need of reform. The proposed measures, however, would only exacerbate the WHO’s underlying problems and enable more civil liberties violations during future ’emergencies.’ Accordingly, we will resist any attempt to enable the WHO to directly or indirectly set public policy for our citizens,” the letter concludes.
