Nearly half of states balk at new global pandemic agreement in warning to Biden administration | 24 May 2024 | Two dozen Republican governors don't want the World Health Organization (WHO) to call the shots in the case of another global pandemic, according to a letter they sent to Joe Biden this week. Currently, there are two proposals under negotiation that would grant WHO "unprecedented and unconstitutional" authority in the U.S., according to the Republican Governors Association. "If adopted, these agreements would seek to elevate the WHO from an advisory body to a global authority in public health," the letter stated. "Under the proposed amendments and treaty, the WHO's Director-General would supposedly gain unilateral power to declare a 'public health emergency of international concern' in member nations, extending beyond pandemics to include a range of perceived emergencies." Earlier this month, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., led the entire Republican Senate conference in calling on President Biden to reject agreements that would expand the authority of the WHO in the case of a global pandemic.