SE Valley Times

The Biden administration’s support of a COVID-19 pandemic accord developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) is unconstitutional, according to U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

“The World Health Organization and many of its member states want the World Health Organization to be the arbiter in determining whether a health emergency exists, regionally or worldwide, and, in so doing, they would be able to intervene and interfere in the various nation states’ policymaking,” Biggs said.

Biggs’ remarks were part of the Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee hearing May 26 in Senate Hearing Room in Phoenix.

Former President Donald Trump started the process of removing the United States from WHO membership, which would have gone into effect July 6, 2021. Currently, the U.S. is the second-largest member state contributor to the WHO.   

“The World Health Organization wants to determine whether you have to wear a mask, social distance, and [institute] lockdowns and they have no authority to do that but our administration, the Biden administration, is supportive of that initiative,” Biggs said in his video statement shown at the committee. “I believe it's unconstitutional.”

The two-day hearing, co-chaired by state Rep. Steve Montenegro (R) and State Sen. Janae Shamp (R), was organized to investigate Arizona's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the state of Arizona recorded 75,700 total deaths; 25.2% of those deaths were from heart disease, 16.7% from cancer, and 11.1% from COVID-19. In 2021, of 81,482 total deaths, 24% were from heart disease, 15.7% from cancer, and 15.6% from COVID-19, according to Senate data.

"It turns out that masks were not as nearly as effective as we were led to believe," Biggs told the committee members. "There were lockdowns and, at the time, we talked about delayed learning impacts. We talked about the emotional impact. We talked about the economic impact. In fact, we're still reeling under inflation because of the massive amount of dollars that Congress put in during that time." 

Congress members Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and freshman Eli Crane (R-AZ) also gave video lectures at the event. They and Biggs are members of the Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee.

Biggs is sponsoring the WHO Withdrawal Act along with Crane. The WHO Withdrawal Act would require the president to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization, which conservatives largely characterize as a compromised institution.

“We'll have to go to the Senate,” Biggs added. “The Senate needs to immediately bring the Biden administration in and hold them accountable for that. We can no longer tolerate this imposition and violation of our basic human rights with their claim they're following science. That’s an authoritarian technocratic way of trying to rule rather than a constitutional Republic form of governance.”