Problem:
On January 19, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule, which, in effect, empowers the World Health Organization (WHO) to make decisions about the existence of public health emergencies in the United States. This HHS-issued regulation states that certain WHO declarations automatically trigger a domestic public health emergency under U.S. law. This would allow HHS to unilaterally impose quarantine restrictions on American citizens based on decisions made by the WHO, with significant potential effects on the sovereignty of States and the American people. A coalition of States petitioned the Department of Health and Human Services to have the regulations rescinded, and HHS refused to do so.
Action:
AFL, serving as outside counsel to the State of Texas and in partnership with the State of Oklahoma, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Secretary Xavier Becerra to halt the Biden Administration’s plan to relinquish American sovereignty to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Result:
The case was dismissed for lack of standing on August 18, 2023.
