Since COVID-19, there has been a push for the World Health Organization (WHO) to have more say on how governments respond to health crises. Still, not everyone is on board with the idea.
AFN has covered many stories featuring Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, Reggie Littlejohn, founder of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, Jenny Beth Martin of Tea Party Patriots Action, former Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC) — all of them urging the U.S. government to not hand over sovereignty to the WHO.
All that came to an end last week when Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said that the Trump administration got out of the WHO.
"We made this decision to reclaim our independence, to protect American sovereignty and to free our public health policy from a system that no longer serves the American people," Kennedy posted on X.
According to the HHS, the executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20th formally initialed the withdrawal process from WHO. Part of the process includes terminating U.S. funding, recalling U.S. personnel and contractors, suspending or discontinuing U.S. engagements, and cease official participation with Who-sponsored organizations.
Tony Perkins of FRC was pleased to hear this news.
"We've been advocating for this since COVID-19's government power grab," said Perkins Tuesday on FRC's "Washington Watch" program. "The U.S. is formally out of the WHO, ending its membership, participation in its governance, and funding contributions to a United Nations agency that many say has lost its way."
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) was another individual urging the U.S. not to hand over sovereignty to the WHO. Johnson told "Washington Watch" that, while the U.S. government did not get it right during COVID, health decisions are for U.S. lawmakers and office holders.
"I would prefer Americans making health decisions for Americans as opposed to one world government and people like the United Nations and the World Health Organization do it for us," said Johnson. "I'm glad the Trump administration did this.”
