A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that a United States withdrawal from the World Health Organization undermines United States global health leadership and the international COVID-19 response.

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 653 Expressing the sense of the Senate that a United States withdrawal from the World Health Organization undermines United States global health leadership and the international COVID–19 response. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JULY 21, 2020 Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. CARPER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CASEY, Mrs. MUR- RAY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. KAINE, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BEN- NET, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. REED, Mr. UDALL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. SMITH, Mr. KING, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. ROSEN, and Mr. MERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that a United States withdrawal from the World Health Organization under- mines United States global health leadership and the international COVID–19 response. Whereas United States contributions to the World Health Or- ganization (WHO) are leveraged with contributions from other countries, the private sector, and foundations to ad- vance longstanding United States global health priorities; Whereas the WHO was founded in 1948 with United States help and has been at the forefront of major global health VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR653.IS SR653 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 653 IS achievements in the last 72 years, including the eradi- cation of polio, because of United States financial and diplomatic support; Whereas the United States has consistently been the largest donor to the WHO in recognition of its vital role in sav- ing lives, improving global disease detection, and coordi- nating a global public health response; Whereas the WHO is able to implement health programs in places the United States Government cannot as effec- tively operate in, including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Whereas the WHO leads polio surveillance, immunization, and technical support, and is able to reach remote areas in countries where polio still exists; Whereas the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief works with the WHO to enhance programs and policies in areas, including laboratory capacity, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, health system strengthening, prevention of tuberculosis infections, and counseling and testing; Whereas the United States is home to 83 different WHO col- laborating centers, more than 20 of which are at the Cen- ters for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health; Whereas the WHO, following the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, undertook a series of reforms to strengthen its health emergencies program and response in large part due to United States involvement; Whereas the WHO is leading the global response to the COVID–19 pandemic with its technical, communications, and organizational capacities in 150 countries; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR653.IS SR653 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 653 IS Whereas the WHO is coordinating an unprecedented global clinical trial, known as the ‘‘Solidarity Trial’’, to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of 4 drug treatment combina- tions against COVID–19, involving more than 100 coun- tries, 400 hospitals, and more than 3,500 patients; Whereas the WHO is leading the global effort to supply health commodities and is coordinating the United Na- tions Global Supply Chain Task Force, which is working with the private sector, the World Food Programme, and the European Central Bank to establish an emergency supply chain for low-resource countries; Whereas at least 135 countries rely on the WHO to procure millions of pieces of personal protective equipment and other vital health commodities like tests and testing sup- plies; Whereas the WHO is the only organization with the legal mandate and capacity to gather public health data from any country in the world and use it to quickly develop and disseminate technical guidance to help countries pre- pare public health responses; Whereas the WHO, through a partnership with member states, major donors, and private sector partners called the ACT Accelerator, is already working to pre-position manufacturing capacity and distribution channels to en- sure that all countries have access to future therapies and vaccines faster and at a fair price; Whereas the Trump Administration froze funding to the WHO pending a ‘‘60 to 90 day review’’ on April 14, 2020, but without any disclosure of the review’s findings, gave the WHO 30 days to make unspecified reforms on VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR653.IS SR653 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 653 IS May 19, 2020, and then, 11 days later, announced the United States would withdraw from the WHO; Whereas, on June 25, 2020, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. Res. 579, urging United States leadership and participation in global efforts on therapeutics and vaccine development and delivery to address COVID–19; and Whereas, on July 6, 2020, the Trump Administration offi- cially submitted a formal letter to the United Nations Secretary General to withdraw the United States from the WHO: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 1 (1) withdrawing the United States from the 2 World Health Organization— 3 (A) undermines United States global 4 health priorities and threatens lives around the 5 world and in the United States; 6 (B) risks weakening the global response to 7 the COVID–19 pandemic; 8 (C) threatens United States humanitarian 9 responses; and 10 (D) creates a vacuum of leadership at the 11 WHO at a time when it has been our expressed 12 interest to counter China’s growing influence 13 within the organization; and 14 (2) the World Health Assembly agreed by con- 15 sensus to appoint an interim assessment of the re- 16 sponse to COVID–19, and by remaining a member 17 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR653.IS SR653 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 653 IS in good standing, the United States will have the 1 most leverage to advocate and put in place the re- 2 forms necessary for the World Health Organization 3 to respond to this and future crises. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:12 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR653.IS SR653 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS