New York Gov. Cuomo joins international criticism of World Health Organization

New York Democratic  Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday joined the bipartisan  – and international – criticism of the World Health Organization's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Where were the warning signs?” Cuomo asked at his daily briefing. “Who should have blown the whistle?" 

President Trump has been among the most vocal of world leaders on the issue of the WHO’s response, which they argue was slow and less than exact in its reporting and guidance.

But the backlash against China appears global. Taiwan officials have suggested the WHO excluding it from membership has hurt the country's response to the pandemic.

Trump has vowed to withhold U.S. support for the group and said Friday that he’ll make a decision on the matter next week. 

Cuomo pointed out Friday that headlines appeared in December and January about a new virus emerging in China, while the WHO failed to issue formal warnings.

“Did we really need to be in this situation where the United States winds up having a higher number of cases than the places that came before?” he asked.

Also in the U.S., congressional bills are being proposed by a number of GOP legislators, including Sens. Tom Cotton (Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), and Rep. Mike Gallagher (Wisconsin), to encourage U.S. companies to source ingredients and goods outside of Chinese markets.