WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a decisive move, the Biden administration’s successors formally rejected the 2024 amendments to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR), citing concerns over national sovereignty, constitutional protections, and the potential for global overreach.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement Friday rejecting the revised IHR framework adopted by the World Health Assembly in June 2024. The rejection comes just one day before the amendments would have taken effect and become binding under WHO rules, even for countries that have withdrawn from the organization.
The amended regulations, critics say, would have granted the WHO sweeping authority to impose global lockdowns, travel restrictions, and other emergency powers in response to vaguely defined “potential public health risks” — actions that U.S. officials argue would bypass democratic processes and infringe on civil liberties.
“The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations open the door to the kind of narrative management, propaganda, and censorship that we saw during the COVID pandemic,” said Secretary Kennedy. “The United States can cooperate with other nations without jeopardizing our civil liberties, without undermining our Constitution, and without ceding away America’s treasured sovereignty.”
Secretary Rubio echoed the concerns, warning that “vague and broad” language throughout the IHR amendments could allow unelected international bodies to coordinate public health responses based on political considerations rather than science. “We will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans’ speech, privacy, or personal liberties,” Rubio said.
The WHO adopted the revised IHR through what U.S. officials characterized as an accelerated and opaque process lacking public input. Critics have accused the global body of failing to reckon with its own missteps during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead seeking expanded authority over member nations.
Congressional Republicans were quick to praise the administration’s decision. Senator Ron Johnson said the WHO’s proposed powers would have enabled “failed draconian responses like business and school closures and vaccine mandates,” and credited the Trump administration for “standing strong.”
Congressman Chip Roy referred to the WHO as a “power-hungry organization” that “lost any potential credibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.” He cited his own legislation, H.R. 401, which seeks to withdraw and defund U.S. involvement in the WHO.
House Freedom Caucus members also rallied behind the move. Congressman Andy Biggs commended the administration for “protecting Americans’ health freedom and privacy,” and Congressman Tom Tiffany stated bluntly that public health decisions “should never be dictated by unelected globalists.”
Friday’s joint statement formalizes the United States’ rejection of the IHR amendments ahead of the July 19 deadline. Though the U.S. withdrew from the WHO earlier under President Trump’s directive, the administration took this additional step to ensure the new regulatory framework would not gain any binding authority over American policy.
While the WHO claims the revised IHR is designed to strengthen global preparedness and cooperation in future pandemics, U.S. officials and lawmakers maintain that it poses unacceptable risks to democratic governance and individual rights.
With this action, the administration underscores its commitment to an “America First” approach in global health governance — one that prioritizes national decision-making over multilateral mandates.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.