Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Introduce Resolution to Prevent President Biden from Ceding U.S. Sovereignty to World Health Organization

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Jim Risch (R-ID) introduced a resolution to ensure the President does not cede U.S. sovereignty to entities like the World Health Organization (WHO) by ratifying global pandemic agreements without Senate approval.

"Any binding agreement with the World Health Organization should require Senate ratification as a treaty," said Senator Cramer. "The World Health Organization has proven itself incapable of holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Relinquishing U.S. sovereignty to an international entity like this would dilute American excellence."

"The United States is a sovereign nation that cannot cede power to the deeply-flawed World Health Organization for any future health emergency. The WHO failed to hold China accountable for the global spread of COVID-19, which killed over 1 million Americans and thousands of Idahoans. Giving it power over any future health emergency affecting the U.S. would be a disaster with potentially deadly consequences," said Senator Risch. "This resolution makes clear the Senate must approve an international agreement - in any form - that requires new or expanded legal obligations in the U.S."

Following a December 2021 special session held by the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO, an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was formed to draft an international agreement to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The INB has developed a working draft for further negotiation and is expected to deliver a final agreement by May 2024.

Joining Senators Cramer and Risch are Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Thune (R-SD), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

Click here to read the resolution.

Background:

In December 2021, Senator Cramer wrote WHO to raise concerns about its COVID-19 variant naming process and demand answers regarding its apparent failure to scrutinize the Chinese Communist Party following the virus outbreak. Learn more here.