Idaho joins coalition opposing drastic expansion of World Health Organization authority

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to President Biden in opposition to World Health Organization (WHO) agreements that would give the organization unprecedented and unconstitutional powers over the people of the United States.

The letter raised concerns with proposals that could radically amend the WHO’s existing International Health Regulations and institute a “Pandemic Agreement.” This would give the organization authority over United States public health policy, even after failing to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its lies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed amendments would threaten national sovereignty, undermine states’ authority, and put the freedoms granted by the Constitution to United States citizens at risk.

”This unprecedented move is of grave concern,” said 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 the agreements are approved, the WHO would transform from an advisory, charitable organization to the world’s governor of public health. The agreements would give the WHO’s Director-General the power to unilaterally declare a “public health emergency of international concern” in one or more member nations. If the Director-General is allowed to dictate these emergencies, the representatives elected by the American people would no longer set the country’s public health policies.

The letter stated, “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 COVID-19 pandemic exposed fundamental flaws with the WHO and other public health institutions,” the attorneys general warned.  These entities breached public trust and are unquestionably in need of reform.  The proposed measures, however, would only exacerbate the WHO’s underlying problems and enable more civil liberties violations during future ‘emergencies.’ Accordingly, we will resist any attempt to enable the WHO to directly or indirectly set public policy for our citizens.” 

The federal government does not have the authority to delegate public health decisions to an international body like the WHO. Even if the federal government had the authority, it would need approval by the U.S. Senate. These proposed agreements would also lay the groundwork for a global surveillance infrastructure under the guise of protecting public health, but with the inherent opportunity for control, similar to the “social credit system” used in Communist China.

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 the letter.

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