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(by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill) – President Trump issued an executive order Monday night withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization.
The U.S. has historically been the largest funder of the Geneva-based organization, which is a branch of the United Nations responsible for combating global public health emergencies.
[Some] public health experts fear the move will weaken the organization as well as global health security.Trump had previously tried to remove the U.S. from the organization, issuing a notice of withdrawal in 2020 [at the end of his first term in office, when WHO’s corruption and mishandling of Covid became known]. He criticized the organization for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic… .
Former President Biden quickly rejoined the organization when he entered the White House in 2021, before the end of the one-year waiting period of withdrawal had completed. He also restored U.S. funding to the organization. …
About a fifth of the WHO’s budget in 2023 — or roughly $1.28 billion — came from the United States.
Those funds went toward identifying and responding to health emergencies and stopping disease threats from spreading across borders, according to the WHO’s website. [Many people find it hard to believe the WHO since the organization lied about Covid (see video under “Resources” below).]
The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO would mean the country’s health agencies would lose access to the organization’s resources, such as global data releases.
“The US withdrawing from the WHO will severely constrain the ability of the US to have situational awareness of infectious disease emergencies occurring all over the world all the time (including now),” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who specializes in emerging infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness.
“The very real reforms that need to occur at the WHO such as putting pressure on China regarding information on the early days of COVID-19 and allowing Taiwan to be part of the organization are less likely to occur without the US as a member.” [Note: The WHO had 4 years of the Biden administration to make these reforms Adalja expects them to make now.]
Published at thehill .com on Jan. 21, 2025. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.
Presidential Executive Order – Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organization
President Donald J. Trump, January 20, 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.
Sec. 2. Actions. (a) The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed on January 20, 2021, that retracted the United States’ July 6, 2020, notification of withdrawal is revoked.
(b) [President Joe Biden’s] Executive Order 13987 of January 25, 2021 (Organizing and Mobilizing the United States Government to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID–19 and to Provide United States Leadership on Global Health and Security), is revoked.
(c) The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs shall establish directorates and coordinating mechanisms within the National Security Council apparatus as he deems necessary and appropriate to safeguard public health and fortify biosecurity.
(d) The Secretary of State and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall take appropriate measures, with all practicable speed, to:
(i) pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO;
(ii) recall and reassign United States Government personnel or contractors working in any capacity with the WHO; and
(iii) identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO.
(e) The Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy shall review, rescind, and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy as soon as practicable.
Sec. 3. Notification. The Secretary of State shall immediately inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations, any other applicable depositary, and the leadership of the WHO of the withdrawal.
Sec. 4. Global System Negotiations. While withdrawal is in progress, the Secretary of State will cease negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and the amendments to the International Health Regulations, and actions taken to effectuate such agreement and amendments will have no binding force on the United States.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 20, 2025.
Questions
NOTE to Students: Before answering the questions, read the full text of President Trump’s Executive Order above (at the end of the article). Then, WATCH THE VIDEO under “Resources” below.
1. What is the WHO – what is its mission?
2. How much in U.S. taxpayer dollars does the U.S. government give the World Health Organization – what percentage of the WHO budget is that?
3. What did President Trump say when signing an executive order the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization? (see video below)
4. List the reasons for President Trump’s notice of withdrawal from the WHO. (see Section 1 of the Executive Order found below the article)
5. How will the president replace the WHO’s role for the U.S.? (found in Section 2 of the Executive Order)
6. Watch the video under “Resources” below. What initial tweet (right before COVID struck in the U.S.) and then statement six months later by the WHO does Greta van Susteren use to explain why President Trump asserts the WHO ripped off the U.S.?
7. Do you agree or disagree with each of Greta’s points? Explain your answers.
a) From 1:30, she states: “Of course it had human-to-human transmission. Why did WHO tweet that? Maybe if the WHO hadn’t tweeted that, not carrying the water for China, maybe the U.S. would have reacted faster or differently to Covid.”
b) From 2:30, Greta says, “in short, we got a lot of advice from an organization named the World Health Organization which is supposed to help but it was bum advice.”
c) Greta tells Rep. McCormick: “Maybe China should pay for the WHO”
7. What is your reaction to Georgia Congressman Dr. Richard McCormick’s assertions about the World Health Organization? Are his points valid? Explain your answer. (watch from 2:35 to the end of the video)
8. Ask a parent to read the Presidential Executive Action on withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO – and to watch the video from Greta’s segment on Trump’s withdrawal from WHO. Then ask: What do you think? Should the U.S. withdraw from the WHO? Please explain your answer.
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