U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) on May 1 unveiled a bill aimed at investigating the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the onset of the spread of the virus responsible for the COVID–19 pandemic.
“I’m introducing this legislation … because the American people deserve answers and Congress must hold the WHO accountable,” Rep. Carter said. “I’m grateful that a great group of members have joined me in this effort, and I hope to get this legislation approved as soon as possible.”
Rep. Carter sponsored H.R. 6665, with eight original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), to direct the U.S. Secretaries of State and Health and Human Services to investigate the failures of the WHO to address the spread of the virus and the extent to which the WHO withheld information from member states of the United Nations related to the spread, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Carter’s office.
H.R. 6665 also would direct the secretaries to determine the accuracy of infection data published by the WHO related to the spread; the relationship between the WHO and the People’s Republic of China and whether the WHO covered up the spread in the People’s Republic of China; and any other systemic failure of the WHO, according to the summary.
“There is no question that the World Health Organization’s actions and their sympathizing with China has led to turning the entire world upside down,” said Rep. Carter. “Now, thousands of Americans have died and millions of Americans have lost their jobs.”
Additionally, H.R. 6665 would lay out how WHO leadership has shown a history of suppressing information even before the coronavirus pandemic, according to the text of the bill.
For instance, leaked emails in 2017 revealed that the WHO refused to classify the Ebola outbreak as a public health emergency for over two months as to not ‘‘anger’’ the leaders of African countries, according to Rep. Carter’s bill summary.
“If the WHO would have done their job, the world could have better prepared to prevent the spread and taken action much sooner,” the congressman said. “Instead, the WHO covered-up for China and their suppression of the truth. Plain and simple, the WHO failed and now the entire world is paying for it.”