S 92119th CongressIn Committee

Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act

Introduced: Jan 14, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act would bar the United States from joining any World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic-related convention, agreement, or instrument unless the U.S. enters into it as a treaty ratified by the Senate (i.e., approved under the Senate’s two-thirds constitutional requirement). It also temporarily blocks U.S. funding to the WHO from the effective date of any such agreement until the Senate formally ratifies it. In short, the bill would require explicit Senate approval for any participation in WHO pandemic agreements and would withhold funding to the WHO during the period before Senate ratification, with the aim of preserving U.S. sovereignty over pandemic-related commitments.

Key Points

1Short title: The bill is called the Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act.
2Senate approval required: Before the United States becomes party to any WHO pandemic convention or agreement, the action must be taken as a treaty ratified by the Senate (pursuant to Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution).
3Scope of coverage: Applies to any convention, agreement, or international instrument under the WHO intended to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
4Funding suspension: The United States may not obligate or expend funds for the WHO starting from the effective date of any such agreement until the Senate approves a resolution of ratification for that agreement.
5Timing and mechanism: The prohibition takes effect on the date of enactment; the funding restriction lasts only until the Senate ratifies the relevant agreement via a Senate resolution of ratification.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- U.S. executive branch and foreign policy: Must secure Senate ratification before joining any WHO pandemic agreement, changing the usual process for international health commitments.- World Health Organization operations funding: Potentially reduced or halted funding during the period between the agreement’s effective date and Senate ratification.Secondary group/area affected- Public health preparedness and global health diplomacy: Could slow or complicate international pandemic collaboration and standard-setting if the U.S. refuses to participate as a non-tedered participant or delays engagement pending Senate action.- U.S. relationships with allies and international partners: May influence diplomatic negotiations around global health governance and pandemic response mechanisms.Additional impacts- Constitutional/fiscal dynamics: Reemphasizes the Senate’s treaty ratification role for major international commitments and ties funding decisions to that approval.- Legal/operational ambiguity risk: The bill references “effective dates” of agreements and the requirements of Senate ratification, which could raise questions about timing, enforcement, and what constitutes an “agreement” or its “effective date” in practice.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025