U.S. House of Representatives Committee On Foreign Affairs: One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

ELIOT L. ENGEL, NEW YORK MICHAEL T.
MCCAUL, TEXAS
CHAIRMAN RANKING REPUBLICAN MEMBER
JASON STEINBAUM BRENDAN P. SHIELDS

STAFF DIRECTOR REPUBLICAN STAFF DIRECTOR
One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
www.foreignaffairs.house.gov
April 27, 2020
The Honorable Mike Pompeo

Secretary
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St. NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Mr. Secretary:
President Trump’s decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) in
the midst of a global pandemic is counterproductive and puts lives at risk. Attacking the WHO,
rather than the COVID-19 outbreak, will only worsen an already dire situation by undermining
one of our key tools to fight the spreading disease. The Administration’s explanation for this
decision is inadequate, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs is determined to understand the
reasons behind this self-defeating withdrawal from global leadership.
The WHO is an imperfect organization that is only as functional as its member states
empower it to be. It has made mistakes during the course of this unprecedented emergency, and I
would support reforms to strengthen the organization. But, certainly, cutting the WHO’s funding
while the world confronts the COVID-19 tragedy is not the answer. We are facing a global
health emergency, requiring a comprehensive effort. The WHO has played an essential role
coordinating among governments around the world, and was quick to declare the spread of
COVID-19 a health emergency and a pandemic. The WHO’s efforts to help slow the spread and
flatten the curve have been invaluable.
The Administration’s response, on the other hand, has been calamitous. A growing record
of public reporting points to the President’s policy of denial, deflection, and delay, despite ample
intelligence and expertise that warned of this pandemic’s lethal potential. For the entire month of
February, the President, along with some of his closest advisors, led the American people to
April 27, 2020
Page Two
believe that this crisis was under control.1 However, hard experience has demonstrated that, in
fact, the opposite was true, as we saw COVID continue to spread throughout the United States.
Diplomatic, development, and global health professionals have warned that cutting the
WHO’s funding at this time will only hurt the global response and provide another opportunity
for China to exert its influence. It was reported recently that State Department officials drafted a
memo to you warning of our loss of influence. The officials highlighted that the anti-WHO effort
“will impact over $50 million in U.S. assistance planned to help host governments address urgent
needs and risks undermining the U.S. narrative of a long-standing health leader, ceding ground to
the [People’s Republic of China].”2 But, to date, the Department of State’s justification for
cutting WHO funding has come to the Congress in the form of a one-page talking points “fact
sheet” that contains few facts, no plan, and no explanation of how suspending funds for the
WHO will save lives here at home or around the world.
In light of the above and in order to determine the appropriate legislative response, I ask
that the Department produce to the Committee on Foreign Affairs no later than 5:00pm on
Monday, May 4, 2020, the following:
From December 1, 2019 to the present:
1. Any and all documents referring, relating to, or referencing the decision to withhold
funding from the WHO.
2. A complete and unredacted list of any and all interagency meetings (sub-PCC, PCC, DC,
PC, or NSC) held between December 1, 2019 and April 14, 2020 in which State
Department officials took part or which they attended, and at which funding for WHO
was discussed. For each such meeting, provide the date and a list of attendees, including
the names of the individuals and the agencies, Departments, or entities represented.
3. A complete and unredacted list of any State Department and USAID officials who were
consulted by the White House outside of such formal interagency meetings prior to the
President’s decision to suspend WHO funding, to include the date of such consultations
and the content of their recommendations.
1
See 34 Times Trump Downplayed the Coronavirus, Washington Post, April 13, 2020 (online at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/34-times-trump-downplayed-the-coronavirus/2020/03/05/790f5afb-
4dda-48bf-abe1-b7d152d5138c_video.html).
2
See Yeganeh Torbati, Trump Administration Officials Warned Against Halting Funding to WHO, Leaked Memo
Shows, ProPublica, April 15, 2020 (online at: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-officials-
warned-against-halting-funding-to-who-leaked-memo-shows).
April 27, 2020
Page Three
4. A complete description of the legal authority or authorities pursuant to which the

Administration intends to execute the WHO funding suspension, as well as a complete
description of when the suspension will take effect, and the precise amount of funding to
be withheld as a result of the suspension.
5. Any and all correspondence between State Department Officials and officials of the
WHO regarding the coronavirus/COVID-19.
6. Complete and unredacted copies of any and all documents that assess the potential impact
of the WHO funding suspension on both the global and U.S. responses to the COVID-19
pandemic, including the implications for longstanding relationships and coordination
between WHO and U.S. agencies.
7. Any and all documents referring, relating to, or referencing, an inquiry, investigation,
review, or other fact-finding exercise regarding the WHO and the coronavirus/COVID-
19.
8. Any and all correspondence between and among anyone not employed by the Executive
Branch of the United States and officials in the Office of the Secretary, including but not
limited to yourself, as well as Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl, and Undersecretary for
Management Brian Bulatao regarding funding for the WHO.
9. Complete and unredacted copies of any and all documents created on or before April 14,
2020 that discuss, reference, or refer in any way to the Administration’s policy rationale
for instituting the WHO funding suspension during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,
including how the decision and its timing are necessary to achieve the Administration’s
“reopening” plan goals.
10. A complete and unredacted list of United States government personnel who worked at or
were detailed to the WHO, in which WHO office they worked, and for how long they
served there.
11. A complete and unredacted list of WHO hosted or coordinated meetings or

teleconferences in which senior United States government officials (Assistant
Secretary/Agency Director or above) participated and the subjects of those meetings.
My staff is prepared to work cooperatively with you to facilitate the production of these
documents. If you fail to provide these materials by the above deadline, the Committee will
consider all other measures at its disposal to compel their production. Please contact the
Committee staff if you have any questions.
April 27, 2020
Page Four
Sincerely,
ELIOT L. ENGEL
Chairman
CC:
John Barsa, Acting Administrator
U.S. Agency for International Development

U.S. House of Representatives Committee On Foreign Affairs: One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

U.S. House of Representatives Committee On Foreign Affairs: One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ELIOT L. ENGEL, NEW YORK MICHAEL T.

JASON STEINBAUM BRENDAN P. SHIELDS

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

April 27, 2020

The Honorable Mike Pompeo

Dear Mr. Secretary:

From December 1, 2019 to the present:

4. A complete description of the legal authority or authorities pursuant to which the

11. A complete and unredacted list of WHO hosted or coordinated meetings or

You might also like