To direct the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to submit a report on the actions of the World Health Organization to address the spread of the virus responsible for COVID-19, and for other purposes.

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6665 To direct the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to submit a report on the actions of the World Health Organization to address the spread of the virus responsible for COVID–19, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 1, 2020 Mr. CARTER of Georgia (for himself, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. BUDD, Mrs. ROD- GERS of Washington, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. BANKS, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. STEUBE, and Mr. CRENSHAW) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to submit a report on the actions of the World Health Organization to address the spread of the virus responsible for COVID–19, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds the following: 4 (1) On December 30, 2019, Dr. Li Wenliang of 5 Wuhan, China warned the Chinese medical commu- 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 May 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6665 IH nity of the outbreak of the virus responsible for 1 COVID–19. 2 (2) Four days after warning the Chinese med- 3 ical community, the Chinese Public Security Bureau 4 forced Dr. Li Wenliang to sign a letter admitting 5 that he made ‘‘false comments’’ and that he had 6 ‘‘severely disturbed the social order’’. 7 (3) Chinese authorities suppressed information 8 concerning the spread of such virus by censoring 9 certain keywords on Chinese messaging applications. 10 (4) On January 14, 2020, the World Health 11 Organization tweeted that ‘‘preliminary investiga- 12 tions conducted by Chinese authorities have found 13 no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission 14 of COVID–19 in Wuhan, China’’. 15 (5) The virus was later determined to be highly 16 contagious and spread through human-to-human 17 contact. 18 (6) Public health researchers have found incon- 19 sistencies in the data reported by the World Health 20 Organization in their situation reports and that the 21 World Health Organization has failed to address 22 such inconsistences. 23 (7) In the middle of the month of January 24 2020, the World Health Organization refused to de- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 May 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6665 IH clare a public health emergency as they did not want 1 to ‘‘spook the world further’’. 2 (8) On February 3, 2020, despite warning signs 3 of an ongoing cover-up, the Director General of the 4 World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom 5 Ghebreyesus, praised the People’s Republic of China 6 saying he was ‘‘impressed’’ by President Xi’s leader- 7 ship. 8 (9) Senior World Health Organization officials 9 praised the People’s Republic of China’s response to 10 the spread of the virus noting that the ‘‘Chinese peo- 11 ple feel protected’’. 12 (10) There is a longstanding and concerning re- 13 lationship between the World Health Organization 14 and the People’s Republic of China, as the People’s 15 Republic of China co-chaired the China-Africa 16 Health Ministers Conference, hosted the Belt and 17 Road Forum for International Cooperation, and 18 worked together with the World Health Organization 19 for the ‘‘One Belt, One Road’’ initiative. 20 (11) In 2017, the People’s Republic of China 21 worked ‘‘tirelessly behind the scenes’’ to ensure the 22 election of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Direc- 23 tor General of the World Health Organization. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 May 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6665 IH (12) In 2014, while serving as Health Minister 1 in Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus covered 2 up three cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia. 3 (13) In 2017, leaked emails revealed that the 4 World Health Organization refused to classify ebola 5 outbreak as a public health emergency for over two 6 months as to not ‘‘anger’’ the leaders of African 7 countries. 8 (14) The United States is the largest financial 9 contributor to the World Health Organization, pro- 10 viding the organization with up to $500 million in 11 American taxpayer money every year. 12 (15) If the World Health Organization had 13 been truthful concerning the spread of the virus, the 14 international community could have better prepared 15 to combat such spread. 16 SEC. 2. REPORT ON THE ACTIONS OF THE WORLD HEALTH 17 ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD OF 18 THE VIRUS RESPONSIBLE FOR COVID–19. 19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 21 in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 22 Services, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 23 committees a report on the actions of the World Health 24 Organization (referred to in this section as the ‘‘WHO’’) 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:26 May 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6665 IH to address the spread of the virus responsible for COVID– 1 19. 2 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The report required 3 under subsection (a) shall include information relating to 4 the following: 5 (1) The failures of the WHO to address the 6 spread of the virus responsible for COVID–19. 7 (2) The extent to which the WHO withheld in- 8 formation from Member States of the United Na- 9 tions relating to such spread. 10 (3) The accuracy of infection data published by 11 the WHO relating to such spread. 12 (4) The relationship between the WHO and the 13 People’s Republic of China. 14 (5) The role of the WHO in covering up such 15 spread in the People’s Republic of China. 16 (6) Any other systemic failure of the WHO, as 17 determined appropriate by the Secretary of State for 18 inclusion in the report. 19 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE- 20 FINED.—In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 21 committees’’ means the following: 22 (1) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 23 House of Representatives. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:26 May 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 6665 IH (2) The Committee on Energy and Commerce 1 of the House of Representatives. 2 (3) The Committee on Foreign Relations of the 3 Senate. 4 (4) The Committee on Health, Education, 5 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 May 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6665.IH H6665 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS