Republican Senators Push Back Against Accord Giving WHO Power Over US Pandemic Response
As member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) prepare to gather in Switzerland next week to negotiate final terms of an accord that will give the WHO centralized authority over U.S. policy in the case of a pandemic, Republican senators are pushing back with an effort to reinforce congressional power to authorize treaties.
The draft accord, which would be legally binding on all 194 member nations, gives the WHO the authority to declare pandemics and submits member countries to the central role of the WHO as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work, in areas like lockdowns, treatments, medical supply chains, surveillance, and disinformation and false news, once a pandemic is declared.
Seventeen U.S. senators, led by Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), introduced the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act on Feb 15, which states that the pandemic accord must be deemed a treaty, thus requiring the consent of a supermajority of the Senate, which is two-thirds, or 67 senators. The legislation comes as the WHO gears up to present what it calls the zero draft of the accord, negotiated with the help of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, to all member nations on Feb. 27 to agree final terms.
Do we have any international law boffins to help the good Senators oppose this ridiculous power grab by WHO? While you’re at it, could you stop Big Virus from any more fooling around with the tiny little incredibly dangerous buggers? I know it’s fun and cool and leads to incredibly interesting papers and careers and demonstrates how smart you are, but there are the millions dead, and that should be a thing.