Two dozen Republican governors have sent a letter to President Biden expressing their concerns about the World Health Organization (WHO) gaining unprecedented and unconstitutional authority in the United States. The governors are opposing two proposals that would grant the WHO the power to declare a global public health emergency of international concern in member nations. They are also worried about the establishment of a global surveillance infrastructure and requirements for member states to censor speech related to public health. The governors are committed to resisting any attempts to transfer authority to the WHO and assert such authority over their citizens.
Governors who signed the letter include Ron DeSantis of Florida, Kay Ivey of Alabama, Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Jim Justice of West Virginia, and Kim Reynolds of Iowa. Others who signed the letter come from states like Texas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. The proposed WHO agreement would drastically change the way governors are able to respond to health emergencies in their states. Republican senators led by Sen. Ron Johnson also called on President Biden to reject agreements that would expand the authority of the WHO in the case of a global pandemic.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) is expected to consider international agreements at its upcoming meeting. The WHA is the WHO’s decision-making body that meets annually to set goals and establish policies between its 194 member states. While the Biden administration has committed to enhancing global coordination to combat pandemics, it has also criticized elements of the WHO’s potential treaty, particularly regarding the protection of pharmaceutical patents. The White House and the WHO did not immediately provide comment on the Republican governors’ letter. The concerns raised by the governors and Republican senators reflect a broader debate over the balance of power and authority in responding to global health emergencies.
