Reschenthaler moves to block funds to WHO
Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Accusing the World Health Organization of “covering up” China’s handling of COVID19, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, called on Tuesday for Congress to withhold U.S. funding to the global health body until its leader resigns and an international investigation is established.
Mr. Reschenthaler sponsored a House resolution that accuses WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Ghebreyesus of “playing politics rather than focusing on its mission to coordinate global efforts on public health crises like the one we are currently experiencing,” he said in a statement.
President Donald Trump also threatened to cut funding for the United Nations agency on Tuesday, blaming the WHO for poor guidance.
“The W.H.O. really blew it,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving that a good look.”
Mr. Reschenthaler’s resolution, which is unlikely to be approved by the Democrat-controlled chamber, garnered support from 21 other House Republicans, including Pennsylvania Reps. Scott Perry and Fred Keller.
“Instead of working to save lives around the world, WHO stood by and downplayed the severity of the virus so as not to offend Chinese officials,” Mr. Reschenthaler said in a statement. “I hope my colleagues join me to hold WHO responsible.”
The resolution noted some instances the WHO appeared to slow-walk COVID-19 warnings or hold back criticism of China.
On Dec. 31, China alerted the WHO that COVID-19 could be transmitted among people, but the resolution alleged the WHO “ignored their warning as not to offend the People’s Republic of China.”
Mr. Ghebreyesus, after visiting Beijing in January, released a statement applauding China’s COVID-19 response as “actually setting a new standard for outbreak response.” That Jan. 30 statement was in conjunction with the WHO’s declaration of an international public health emergency.
“The Chinese government is to be congratulated for the extraordinary measures it has taken,” Mr. Ghebreyesus stated. “I left in absolutely no doubt about China’s commitment to transparency.”
Those comments, cited in the resolution, generated criticism from some countries who claimed the WHO was overlooking China’s efforts to suppress information about COVID-19. Those efforts, critics said, included reprimanding Li Wenliang, a doctor who was silenced by Chinese authorities after warning his colleagues in December 2019 about the outbreak.
The resolution also cites a U.K. study published March 13 that found China could have reduced COVID-19 cases by 95% if it had intervened three weeks earlier. The study also found that China’s interventions — locking down cities and shutting down businesses to isolate cases — “appear to be effective.” China would have faced an 18-fold increase in cases had it intervened three weeks later, the study found.
It is unclear what evidence exists, if any, that the WHO knew and deliberately covered up China’s actions to downplay the virus’s spread. Mr. Reschenthaler’s office did not respond to questions about the resolution.
The WHO’s pandemic response efforts likely would be hobbled by the abrupt removal of U.S. money, which accounts for more than onefifth of its funding from member countries. The U.S. also funds global health programs and humanitarian accounts, the news release noted.
Mr. Keller, a Republican from Snyder County, applauded the resolution.
“The Chinese government hid the threat of COVID-19 and, as a result, made it difficult for the rest of the world to respond early, appropriately and aggressively,” Mr. Keller stated.
“For reasons beyond understanding, the World Health Organization acted as a silent partner in this effort instead of protecting the lives of millions across the world, including hundreds of thousands of American citizens,” he wrote.