Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the Senate’s confirmation of Michael Pack to be CEO of the United States Agency for Global Media:

“It’s taken nearly three-and-a-half years for the White House to fill the top job at our international broadcasting agency, and I’m troubled that the Senate has confirmed not an experienced manager of a news organization, but someone with long ties to right-wing individuals, organizations, and media. The Administration has recently launched a volley of attacks on the Voice of America for not being sufficiently pro-Trump, even though the law requires that our broadcasters remain unbiased and free from interference by any administration. I hope that Mr. Pack understands this law and will not permit USAGM to be turned into Trump TV.

“VOA, Radio Free Europe, and our other taxpayer-funded broadcasters advance American interests by providing credible, independent news in other countries where governments work to stifle news and information—not by producing propaganda. The Committee on Foreign Affairs will be keeping a very close eye on our broadcasters as Mr. Pack takes the reins.”

# # #