The Trump administration has submitted a notice to withdraw from the World Health Organization by July 6, 2021, a senior administration official told CNBC.
The notice, given to the United Nations secretary-general, is the first step in a yearlong process that is dependent on cooperation from Congress and President Donald Trump's reelection in November.
Whether the president has the unilateral authority to withdraw from the global organization has been heavily debated, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service.
On May 18, President Trump said he would give WHO 30 days to improve before cutting funding from the U.S. On May 29, President Trump announced the U.S. was ending its relationship with the organization due to its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the withdrawal notice, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians and American Medical Association released a joint statement, claiming the withdrawal "puts the health of our country at grave risk." The July 7 statement says the organizations are in "strong opposition" to the decision, dubbing it a "major setback to science, public health and global coordination efforts needed to defeat COVID-19."
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