“As thousands of Americans die because of COVID-19, the president must take some responsibility for his own actions and let the medical experts in the United States and around the globe do their job.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the United States would curtail funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Deflecting blame is not the way to save lives and get our nation and the world through this global public health crisis. Yet again, President Trump chastises others for perceived mistakes while falsely claiming his response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States was perfect. President Trump and his administration have already made several missteps. Cutting off funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of a global pandemic is irresponsible, irrational and simply the wrong thing to do. Infectious disease outbreaks around the world threaten Americans here at home. As thousands of Americans die because of COVID-19, the president must take some responsibility for his own actions and let the medical experts in the United States and around the globe do their job. There is plenty of blame to go around, but let’s get through this crisis before attempting to choke the life out of the very entities established to navigate such international crises.

“The fight against coronavirus will not be won by just focusing on the U.S. but by ending this pandemic around the world. If we refuse to work with the WHO – the lead enforcer of the International Health Regulations – we will have limited mechanisms to help stop this pandemic once and for all.”