The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves that President Joe Biden's candidate will lead the U.S. Global Media Agency (USAGM), and former VOA director Amanda Bennett faces a final confirmation vote. Pave the way to do it. Senate floor.
The Commission's Democratic majority communications director, Juan Passion, told VOA that the Commission "collectively" approved Bennett's nomination at a meeting at the Capitol on Thursday. .. group. Pachon was answering VOA's questions about the outcome of the meeting. USAGM is the parent institution of VOA.
Passion said the approval of Bennett and the five US ambassador candidates was part of a "broader agreement" proposed by Democratic Chairman Bob Menendez.
"As a result, there were no votes recorded," he said. Mr Passion didn't elaborate on the deal or when Bennett would vote in the Democratic Senate.
Her confirmation seems likely, as there are no Senate Democrats to disagree with Bennett's nomination.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio talks to VOA outside the Capitol room after the proceedings and hears Bennett's name appear in discussions about various candidates. Said not.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bennett was VOA Director from 2016 to 2020. She resigned in June 2020, a few days before Michael Puck, who was nominated by then-President Donald Trump as USAGM CEO, took office. The office after she won the Senate confirmation.
When asked what he thought of Bennett's nomination, Rubio asked, "How did (VOA) handle an interview with a well-known Chinese dissident when he was there for the first time? But in the end you were part of this group of candidates. You passed because there was no individual vote for her nomination, "he said.
Rubio mentioned Bennett's 2017 decision to shorten the planned three-time with exiled Chinese billionaire and prominent Beijing critic Guo Wen-Yi. Live interview with VOA's Mandarin Service, and fire Mandarin Service Chief Sir Shagon and other staff at the time, who violated the length and handling instructions of the interview.
Bennett critics accused her of succumbing to Chinese government pressure to silence her Guo. However, VOA's public relations office practiced that a third-party review of the case concluded that "the decision to reduce live interviews was based solely on the Beth of journalism and was consistent."
In response to a question about the likelihood Bennett will be confirmed in the Senate, Rubio said: Senator) can support any candidate for any reason. I don't know if she will vote individually or will participate in the package (voting) just before summer vacation.
Parliament will be adjourned from August 8th to September 6th.
Passion did not respond to VOA's request for comment from Menendez about Bennett's favorable recommendation from the Senate Committee. The
White House has a long career in Bennett's US media and four years as her VOA director whennominated her for the role of USAGM last November. I quoted it. She is the executive editor of Bloomberg News and the editor of the Oregonnewspaper. She has also been a journalist for theWall Street Journalfor over 20 years, including Beijing.
In June 2020, after Bennett resigned as VOA Director, Puck appointed Robert Reilly to replace her in December 2020. Minutes after Biden took office on January 20, 2021, she requested and received Puck's resignation and appointed Kelcao, then VOA programming director, as USAGM CEO. Chao dismissed Riley as VOA director a day later.
Bennett has a face d Criticism from some Republicans since the confirmation hearing on June 7. She told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she would promote USAGM's objective and balanced reporting mission when disinformation is on the rise worldwide.
The America First Legal Foundation, a non-profit organization with center rights founded by former Trump administration officials, sent Biden aletteron Thursday to nominate Bennett. Asked to withdraw. When she was a VOA director, she failed in relation to national security. " The main complaint of the
group was when Bennett warned USAGM leaders about a "flaw" in security clearance for government employees. He ran VOA, USAGM's largest network. position. According to a July 2020 report by the Human Resources Department, 1,527 USAGM employees, or about 40% of the total workforce, have been improperly scrutinized over the last decade, and OPM has identified USAGM employees. Now revokes the authority to carry out.
Republican Michael McCaul, leader of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, believes Bennett did not face "strong" questions at the June 7 hearing,. I sent the letterto the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. A few days later, he urged Bennett to go under scrutiny. He quoted the allegations that the former VOA director mismanaged public funds and personnel, overseeing security breaches, biased news coverage, and low morale.
"I'm seriously concerned about the appointment of Amanda Bennett, CEO of USAGM," McCall told VOA earlier this month in an email. “In China, Russia, and around the world, when faced with the threat of existence due to disinformation and the silence of objective journalism, a fair and skilled leader under the command of USAGM is essential.”
McCaul strongly supports USAGM's mission and has criticized Pack while serving as CEO of the agency.
Bennett and USAGM did not immediately respond to VOA's request for comment on American First Legal's call to withdraw her nomination.
US Ambassador Karen Kornblue, a former board member of USAGM, will be the CEO of the agency earlier this month due to Bennett's media background and USAGM's knowledge as a former VOA director. He said he would be a strong candidate. She said Bennett could set "standards for all who obey."
"When authoritarianism revives around the world, her leadership is essential. Not only does it give people under oppressive government access to accurate information, but it also creates a really good model of journalism. To be able to see it, "Kornbluh said.
