Republicans in the House of Representatives are criticizing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s claim that President Donald Trump cutting funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is “illegal.”
The Daily Caller spoke to over six House Republicans who all criticized Pelosi for her comments in regards to Trump halting funding for the WHO. Some even went on to call for WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign, saying the best way for them to move forward is by getting rid of Tedros.
“I’m not sure who Nancy Pelosi is trying to cover up for when defending a disgraced institution. I mean the World Health Organization has a deplorable track record when it comes to pandemics. It’s not just what WHO has done to cover up for China and literally to regurgitate Communist Chinese talking points on the coronavirus,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise told the Daily Caller. (RELATED: President Trump Cuts Off Funding For World Health Organization Over COVID-19 Handling)
“But if you look at their track record with other outbreaks like Ebola, the World Health Organization was described as being non-existent when it came to calling out other types of health crises. So their credibility has been a question for a long time. And President Trump ought to be commended for protecting taxpayer dollars by taking it away from a highly questionable organization like W.H.O. and direct those scarce resources to more reputable health institutions,” Scalise continued.
President Donald Trump (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“Not only did China deceive the international community over the origins and impact of the coronavirus, but the World Health Organization was an accessory to China’s reprehensible actions. Politically motivated international institutions led by those who aren’t honest brokers should be avoided and receive no financial support from America,” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs told the Daily Caller.
“Speaker Pelosi has chosen to side with the communists in China in her latest endeavor to undermine America’s duly elected president. History will harshly judge her actions and statements throughout this entire pandemic. I strongly support President Trump’s efforts to hold the WHO and China accountable for this pandemic,” Biggs continued.
On Wednesday, Pelosi called Trump’s decision “senseless.” (RELATED: Pelosi Says Trump’s Decision To Cut Off Funding For WHO Is ‘Illegal’ — Vows It Will Be ‘Swiftly Challenged’)
Officials in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) explained to the Daily Caller that WHO’s funding was approved by Congress as part of a larger lump sum statutorily allocated for “international organizations.” The White House has discretion over which organizations to send that money to, with past decisions resulting in the budgeting WHO received. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: White House Officials Counter Pelosi’s Claim That Trump’s WHO Cuts Are ‘Illegal’)
An official explained that the funding allocation is broken down into two groups: assessed dues and voluntary contributions made at the agency level. WHO’s assessed dues, according to OMB, can be immediately halted because a treaty doesn’t exist that legally binds the United States to WHO. Meanwhile, voluntary funds will be reassigned to different world health organizations. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reportedly already directing State Department employees to identify new organizations to receive the voluntary funds originally destined for WHO.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
“Pelosi is a lot more interested these days in bashing President Trump than holding China accountable which is a glaring departure from her long time record,” Indiana Rep. Jim Banks told the Daily Caller.
Kentucky Rep. James Comer told the Daily Caller that he believes the WHO is likely responsible for a number of deaths in the U.S.
“Every bit of information we got initially from the World Health Organization with respect to COVID-19 was completely inaccurate. And it’s probably led to a loss of lives in the United States. I don’t think very many people in Kentucky want to give the World Health Organization a penny of tax dollars until we get to the bottom of what went wrong,” Comer said.
Rep. Greg Steube told the Daily Caller that he believes the WHO is 100% responsible for thousands of deaths in the U.S. Steube said, “If you look at the timeline of the spread of COVID-19, it is clear that the WHO’s willingness to cover up the Chinese Communist Party’s disinformation is directly responsible for the death of thousands of people in the United States and across the world.”
The United States has been by far the largest contributor to the WHO’s yearly budget, donating in excess of $400 million a year.