The U.S. divorce from the WHO was effective three weeks ago. Since then, Illinois, California, and Zohran Mamdani's New York City have independently gone back, reports U.S. News. Illinois and California are the first two states to join back with Who’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker claimed that President Donald Trump has “undermined science” and “weakened our nation’s ability to detect and respond to global health threats” by withdrawing the country from WHO. Therefore, he refused “to sit idly by,” stating that joining GOARN will provide the information needed to help protect the state.
The WHO’s pandemic response network provides guidance to its members on which businesses and civic institutions to shutter during a pandemic. It gives its members access to approved medications and helps with social media communications.
David E. Smith of the Illinois Family Institute says to think of the most authoritarian and dystopian features of the last pandemic -- they will be back.
“The World Health Organization has the best interest of Illinois citizens at heart, right?” asks Smith.
It did not cost anything to join, but Illinois had to promise it will contribute to the WHO's pandemic prevention efforts. Smith informs that it could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
“The Illinois politicians don't care about how much it costs, as long as they can disassociate themselves with any policy that Donald Trump or RFK implement,” says Smith.
Smith says that they learned nothing from the last pandemic.
“They are not deterred whatsoever about the fraud and the waste and the abuse. That's just the price of big government,” states Smith.
However, he is confident that Illinois voters remember and will not stand for a repeat of the COVID madness.
“They're not going to allow this to happen again. There will be a revolt, not maybe in the streets, but at least at the ballot boxes. I'm hoping and praying,” concludes Smith.
