Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, alongside Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general, has penned a letter to President Biden expressing opposition to World Health Organization (WHO) agreements that could potentially grant the organization unprecedented powers over U.S. citizens. The attorneys general raised concerns about proposals that could significantly amend the WHO’s existing International Health Regulations and institute a “Pandemic Agreement.”
The proposed amendments would give the WHO authority over United States public health policy, even after failing to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes could threaten national sovereignty, undermine states’ authority, and jeopardize the freedoms granted by the Constitution to United States citizens.
“This unprecedented move is of grave concern,” stated Attorney General Labrador. “We saw the destruction that was done to our social fabric, education systems, and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. That destruction had nothing to do with the virus itself, but instead the power exercised by people claiming it was for our own good. The freedoms of every single American were infringed upon. This is not a mistake that should ever be repeated, and certainly not at the hands of an unaccountable, unelected international organization."
If approved, these agreements would transform WHO from an advisory body into a global governor of public health. They would also empower WHO's Director-General to unilaterally declare a “public health emergency of international concern” in one or more member nations.
The letter highlighted: “Ultimately, the goal of these instruments isn’t to protect public health. It’s to cede authority to the WHO — specifically its Director-General—to restrict our citizens’ rights to freedom of speech, privacy, movement (especially travel across borders) and informed consent.”
The attorneys general warned that "the COVID-19 pandemic exposed fundamental flaws with the WHO and other public health institutions." They believe these entities breached public trust and need reform. However, the proposed measures would only exacerbate the WHO’s underlying problems and enable more civil liberties violations during future ‘emergencies.’
The letter also emphasized that the federal government does not have the authority to delegate public health decisions to an international body like the WHO. Even if it did, approval by the U.S. Senate would be required. The proposed agreements could potentially lay the groundwork for a global surveillance infrastructure under the guise of protecting public health, similar to China's “social credit system.”
The attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia also joined in this letter.