President Biden is taking steps to return to the World Health Organization (WHO), reversing a decision the Trump administration made in July, a few months after the coronavirus pandemic.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki: Hill’s Morning Report – President Biden and Vice President Harris begin work today on Biden to re-enter the Paris agreement, revokes Keystone XL license Trump seeks to introduce Biden with executive action said Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday to stop the US from leaving the organization, fulfilling a promise made during the campaign.
Formal withdrawal requires a one-year notice, so former President Trump
Donald Way: Lil Wayne receives 11 o’clock Trump’s pardon Trump leniency more than 100 people, including Bannon Trump expects to forgive Bannon: reports MOREThe decision would not take effect until July 6.
As part of the move, Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciSlew of Biden has ordered COVID to include the resumption of WHO membership Biden to sign the flurry of executive action in the first hours of the presidency, the nations’ leading expert on infectious diseases, will lead the US delegation to the WHO and attend the organization’s executive board meeting on Thursday.
“Once the United States resumes its commitment to WHO, the Biden-Harris Administration will work with WHO and our partners to strengthen and reform the organization, to support COVID-19 in the field of health and humanitarian response, and to promote health and safety. global health, ”Biden’s transition team said in a statement.
The WHO’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been overwhelming, but public health experts have strongly criticized Trump’s isolationist approach.
Trump has repeatedly attacked the organization for alleged bias against China and used it as a scapegoat for its own administration’s pandemic response. Meanwhile, the United States has the most COVID-19 deaths and cases in any country in the world.
Trump first froze funding for WHO in April, while his administration reviewed its relationship with the entity. Weeks later, he wrote to the WHO calling for reforms, but did not specify what those reforms would be.
WHO critics stressed his initial claim that the coronavirus could not be spread through human-to-human transmission, and Trump criticized the organization’s opposition to banning travel after imposing one on China.
Republicans in the House on Wednesday blasted the move, saying the WHO is an echo chamber for Chinese propaganda and should not receive US taxpayer dollars.
China has been far from transparent in its investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and has christened doctors and other whistleblowers. While the WHO was reluctant to draw attention to these issues, experts said the lack of US involvement created a gap that China happily filled.
Anthony Blink
Antony BlinkenThe Senate is pushing for Biden’s election as secretary of state for Iran, China, Russia and Yemen. Biden to join WHO-supported vaccination initiative Blinken says plan to keep US embassy in Jerusalem MORE, Nominated by Biden for secretary of state, told senators during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday that reforming the WHO is something that can be done best from within.
“The WHO is a very imperfect organization that needs reform,” Blinken said, but added that one of the reasons President Biden was so determined to join was “that we will be in a much better position.” effective in advancing that WHO reform if we are there at the table than if we are outside the organization. “
Blinken also said that the US intends to join Covax, the WHO-led effort to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine in low- and middle-income countries.
Previously, Biden had not formally pledged to participate in the initiative.
“We strongly believe that we can make sure that every American gets the vaccine, but we can also make sure that others around the world who want it have access to it,” Blinken said.
Laura Kelly contributed to this report.