The Trump administration announced Friday that the United States is formally rejecting a series of controversial amendments to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR), saying the changes would grant sweeping new powers to the UN health body and undermine American sovereignty.
The decision, jointly announced by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes just one day before the July 19 deadline to lodge official reservations against the amendments, which were approved by WHO member states in 2024–including, at the time, the United States.
“Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions, or any other measures it sees fit,” Kennedy said in a video statement. “In fact, it doesn’t even need to declare an emergency.”
The revised IHR introduced a new designation–“pandemic emergency”–that could trigger a series of WHO-led responses, including digital health requirements and travel protocols. The WHO has described the amendments as a way to “strengthen global preparedness, surveillance, and responses to public health emergencies.”
But U.S. officials warn the changes cross a red line.
“These amendments risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy,” Kennedy and Rubio wrote in a joint statement. “We will put Americans first in all our actions, and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans’ speech, privacy, or personal liberties.”
The United States had already begun the process of withdrawing from the WHO earlier this year following President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued on January 20–his first day back in office. However, administration officials said the U.S. was still technically bound by the 2024 language unless it took formal steps to reject it before the deadline.
The decision was immediately praised by conservative lawmakers and civil liberties advocates.
“The United States must never cede our sovereignty to any international entity or organization,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). “I applaud Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rubio for rejecting the World Health Organization’s ill-advised amendments.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) added, “The WHO used COVID as an excuse to undermine our freedoms. I fully support the administration’s decision to reject this power grab.”
