III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 653 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a United States withdrawal from 

the World Health Organization undermines United States global health 

leadership and the international COVID–19 response. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21, 2020 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. CARPER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CASEY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. KAINE, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. REED, Mr. UDALL, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. SMITH, Mr. KING, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. ROSEN, and Mr. 

MERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a United States 

withdrawal from the World Health Organization undermines United States global health leadership and the 

international COVID–19 response. 

Whereas United States contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) are leveraged with contributions from 

other countries, the private sector, and foundations to advance longstanding United States global health priorities; 

Whereas the WHO was founded in 1948 with United States 

help and has been at the forefront of major global health 


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•SRES 653 IS 

achievements in the last 72 years, including the eradication of polio, because of United States financial and 

diplomatic support; 

Whereas the United States has consistently been the largest 

donor to the WHO in recognition of its vital role in saving lives, improving global disease detection, and coordinating a global public health response; 

Whereas the WHO is able to implement health programs in 

places the United States Government cannot as effectively operate in, including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, 

and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 

Whereas the WHO leads polio surveillance, immunization, 

and technical support, and is able to reach remote areas 

in countries where polio still exists; 

Whereas the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 

works with the WHO to enhance programs and policies 

in areas, including laboratory capacity, prevention of 

mother to child transmission of HIV, health system 

strengthening, prevention of tuberculosis infections, and 

counseling and testing; 

Whereas the United States is home to 83 different WHO collaborating centers, more than 20 of which are at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of 

Health; 

Whereas the WHO, following the 2014 West African Ebola 

outbreak, undertook a series of reforms to strengthen its 

health emergencies program and response in large part 

due to United States involvement; 

Whereas the WHO is leading the global response to the 

COVID–19 pandemic with its technical, communications, 

and organizational capacities in 150 countries; 


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•SRES 653 IS 

Whereas the WHO is coordinating an unprecedented global 

clinical trial, known as the ‘‘Solidarity Trial’’, to evaluate 

the safety and effectiveness of 4 drug treatment combinations against COVID–19, involving more than 100 countries, 400 hospitals, and more than 3,500 patients; 

Whereas the WHO is leading the global effort to supply 

health commodities and is coordinating the United Nations Global Supply Chain Task Force, which is working 

with the private sector, the World Food Programme, and 

the European Central Bank to establish an emergency 

supply chain for low-resource countries; 

Whereas at least 135 countries rely on the WHO to procure 

millions of pieces of personal protective equipment and 

other vital health commodities like tests and testing supplies; 

Whereas the WHO is the only organization with the legal 

mandate and capacity to gather public health data from 

any country in the world and use it to quickly develop 

and disseminate technical guidance to help countries prepare public health responses; 

Whereas the WHO, through a partnership with member 

states, major donors, and private sector partners called 

the ACT Accelerator, is already working to pre-position 

manufacturing capacity and distribution channels to ensure that all countries have access to future therapies 

and vaccines faster and at a fair price; 

Whereas the Trump Administration froze funding to the 

WHO pending a ‘‘60 to 90 day review’’ on April 14, 

2020, but without any disclosure of the review’s findings, 

gave the WHO 30 days to make unspecified reforms on 


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•SRES 653 IS 

May 19, 2020, and then, 11 days later, announced the 

United States would withdraw from the WHO; 

Whereas, on June 25, 2020, the Senate passed by unanimous 

consent S. Res. 579, urging United States leadership and 

participation in global efforts on therapeutics and vaccine 

development and delivery to address COVID–19; and 

Whereas, on July 6, 2020, the Trump Administration officially submitted a formal letter to the United Nations 

Secretary General to withdraw the United States from 

the WHO: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) withdrawing the United States from the 

3 World Health Organization— 

4 (A) undermines United States global 

5 health priorities and threatens lives around the 

6 world and in the United States; 

7 (B) risks weakening the global response to 

8 the COVID–19 pandemic; 

9 (C) threatens United States humanitarian 

10 responses; and 

11 (D) creates a vacuum of leadership at the 

12 WHO at a time when it has been our expressed 

13 interest to counter China’s growing influence 

14 within the organization; and 

15 (2) the World Health Assembly agreed by con16 sensus to appoint an interim assessment of the re17 sponse to COVID–19, and by remaining a member 


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1 in good standing, the United States will have the 

2 most leverage to advocate and put in place the re3 forms necessary for the World Health Organization 

4 to respond to this and future crises. 

Æ 


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