Has anyone who contacted their congressmen about this issue gotten a response yet. So far, I've only gotten one of those automatic computer generated responses. Im curious to see if any of them have said if they plan to do anything about it.
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I just got a response today:
Thank you for contacting me about the World Health Organization. I appreciate receiving your comments.
As you may know, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations agency responsible for directing and coordinating global health efforts within the U.N. system. In part, it monitors global health trends, engages countries on global health issues, and sets recommended norms and standards. It is funded by a combination of members' fees - based on wealth and population - and voluntary contributions. As of 2021 the WHO has 194-member nations, including the United States.
In your message, you mentioned amendments proposed to the WHO by the United States. Last April, the Biden Administration proposed amendments to the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR), an international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response. The IHR are a set of rules that members of the WHO vote to abide by in response to a public health emergency, most often a large-scale infectious disease outbreak. Here is the text of the amendments proposed by the United States. These amendments are scheduled to be considered at the upcoming World Health Assembly, which begins on May 22, 2022.
While the WHO has the ability to issue a public health emergency of international concern for infectious disease outbreaks, such as for COVID-19, the WHO does not have the authority to impose public health restrictions, such as lockdowns or other mandates, within individual countries. Throughout the response to COVID-19, decisions over whether to impose these types of restrictions have been made by individual states and local governments. I believe that it is critical for these types of decisions to be made by state and local government officials, as conditions in one area can be vastly different from another.
I understand the importance of closely monitoring any changes to the IHR, as these changes could influence the United States’ response to a future public health emergency. Agencies like the WHO monitor, track, and anticipate global health risks; however, any decision to modify the IHR must safeguard our national sovereignty at home.
Please know I will keep your comments in mind as I continue to monitor this proposal in the days and weeks ahead. Again, thank you for contacting my office. If you have additional questions or concerns, please visit my website: www.fischer.senate.gov.