Washington, D.C. - January 23, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. House Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO, 3rd) introduced legislation to hold the World Health Organization (WHO) and China accountable for their role in the global COVID-19 pandemic on Friday.
"The WHO is China-centric and panders to Beijing at every turn. There is no reason U.S. taxpayers should contribute more than $400 million annually to an organization that covered for China and failed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We must not let the Chinese Communist Party off the hook. We must hold the WHO accountable. Joe Biden failed to do either of those things and his edict yesterday only emboldens Beijing. Rejoining the WHO without ensuring accountability for the American people is the wrong move,” stated Boebert.
Thursday, Joe Biden signed an executive order reversing President Trump's decision to leave the WHO.
Friday, U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) introduced her first three bills as a Member of Congress.
H.R. 374, the World Health Organization Accountability Act, ensures America holds both the WHO and China accountable for their failures that contributed to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The text of the bill can be viewed HERE.
Members of Congress that cosponsored H.R. 374 so far include Representatives: Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Tedd Budd (NC-13), Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Matt Gaetz (FL-01), Jody Hice (GA-10), Ralph Norman (SC-05), David Rouzer (NC-07), and Elise Stefanik (NY-21).
H.R. 374 prohibits contributions to the WHO until the State Department and Health and Human Services conduct a thorough investigation into the activities by the WHO and the Government of the People’s Republic of China that contributed to global COVID–19 pandemic.
Media reports indicate China initially downplayed and covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak which resulted in a three-week delay in responding to the virus and a corresponding inability to contain it.
If China had been forthright, estimates suggest we might have seen 95 percent fewer cases and perhaps averted the global pandemic
Doctors in Wuhan knew in early December 2019 that there was a problem, but China did not notify the WHO until December 31st. China also refused to let the WHO in to investigate the growing epidemic. For its part, the WHO provided cover for China’s missteps and even participated in spreading its disinformation.
The U.S. was the largest single donor to the WHO in 2019 and reportedly gave more than $400 million. This contribution represents nearly 15% of the WHO’s entire budget.