The committee on Foreign Affairs will come to other to order. That objection the chair is authorized to declare a recess for the committee of any point and all members will have five days to submit statements, extraneous materials. To insert something to the record please help your staff email the previously circulated address or Contact Committee staff. As a reminder to members staff and other physically present in this room for guidance on the office of attending physician masks must be worn at all times to during todays proceedings except when a member or witness is speaking. Please also sanitize your seating area. The chair have used these measures as a safety issue and therefore important matter of order and decorum is proceeding. For members participating remotely please keep your video function on at all times even when you are not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and on meeting themselves and please her memo to mooch yourself after you finished speaking. Consistent with House Resolution 965 and the accompanying regulation staff will only need to members and witnesses as appropriate when they arent under recognition to illuminate background noise. I see we have a quorum and i now recognize myself for opening remarks. The Committee Meets this morning to examine american and International Broadcasting efforts under the u. S. Agency for global media. For weeks we expected the opportunity to hear from and question u. S. Agm new ceo mr. Michael pack. Mr. Paks brief tenure has been a rocky and controversial one. He immediately removed voice of americas leadership as well as the president s radio for europe, Radio Liberty, radio for asia and middle east broadcasting network. Removing these experienced board from the services replace them with new boards consisting of himself his chief of staff and a number of Trump Administration political appointees and the senior counsel of organization for Southern Poverty Law Center and designated antitrust lgbt hate group. We tried to follow the acting ceo and board of the open Technology Fund but the Court Reserves the decision. He removed the standard editor from voice of america who meets sure the content meets the . Of independent journalism. He is trying to renew the visas for voice of america journalist who came to that United States to produce unbiased news and information. I want to emphasize this. U. S. Government asks these people to come work for us. Because of their expertise and language skills. To send new specs to countries where they are over threatened and some of these people are being forced to leave the country. It is shocking that the United States government would treat any journalist that way, let alone one we have asked to do the job. Mr. Pak cut funding for the open Technology Fund or otf and funding the [inaudible] to remind everyone of what they do they support development of the circumvention and communication tools so that journalists and citizens are better able to share news and information to countries with governments try to censor or stifle those things. Were talking about places like belarus, iran, china and venezuela. He is suspended a number of senior u. S. Ag officials and what i believe to be a rio tele tory and improper action. Three months ago i invited him to appear before this committee to answer questions and explain his alarming first few weeks on the job and on august 3 he made a commitment to appear here today let me repeat that. On august 3 his office made a commitment to appear here today and one week ago shortly after the committee noticed a hearing he was breaking his commitment and breaking his commitment. U. S. Agm refused to provide specific reasons stating only there were quote, administrative proceedings unquote. The committee has since learned that mr. Pack personally, excuse me, personally scheduled for today and a ministry that hearing for those people he suspended. He notified those individuals last thursday the same day u. S. Atm told the committee he was backing out of this hearing. My understanding is that under regulations and standard federal Agency Practice had agency shouldnt even be involved in such administration and the administrative hearings. They should be left to the severity professionals u. S. Agm proposed other dates in october and the house is in recess. It is my view that mr. Pack manufactured this conflict to get out of being here today. The committee issued a subpoena to compel his testimony with the chair as the witness mr. Pack is now in defiance of that subpoena. Our International Broadcasting efforts are a critical Foreign Policy tool in u. S. Agm constituent Services Provide highquality independent news and information and some of the most closed off places in the world and the best way to push back on the propaganda coming out of russia, china and elsewhere is to provide the truth plain and simple. We need competent leadership at the helm of those efforts and we need someone who understands journalism and expects journalists and someone who understands the head of the federal agency is accountable and that congress has the constitutional right to conduct oversight. We need someone who respects the law and allows our broadcasters to operate free from interference. Mr. Pack has made clear in his short tenure that he needs none of those qualifications. He is making a mockery of the u. S. Agency has long enjoyed strong bipartisan support and has shown tremendous disrespect for the committee, our committee, and its role overseeing the u. S. Agm. He is the wrong person for the job and he should resign and if he doesnt the president should fire him. But if mr. Pack wont talk to us but we will hear from those he is pushed out or try to push out. Confident Public Service and journalists because they were committed to doing their job well have no place in mr. Packs u. S. Agm. I will now yield to the Ranking Member for any opening comments he has. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I think to each of the witnesses who are appearing before us here today. U. S. Agency for global Media Mission is to further press and Internet Freedom around the world. Recently, i and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have grown very concerned and the agencys mission is being undermined from the top. The most problematic to me has been what i can only characterize as the impoundments of funds meant for the open Technology Fund. Otf withstood up as independent last year and a bipartisan manner by congress. Yet, despite a track record of success in providing Internet Access another vital support to those in china, iran, russia and other authoritarian states ce pak has ignored the will of congress and withheld millions of dollars in funding from otf. This is not a typical dc policy discussion. I believe his actions damaged support during the height of unrest in hong kong and they are continuing to do so today in belarus. They are t of support to freedom and democracy movements is also regrettable because in my judgment, adroitly undermines key priorities of this administration that i have discussed at the very top leve levels. Not unfortunately its not the only concerning action. In some u. S. Agm has not been responsive to congress in many cases. We have asked the agency for their Strategic Response to the situation in belarus but have received no response. Our office and inquired about the return of Radio Free Europe hungary but received no response. Also after most of the front office was placed on an ministry to leave we simply asked for the names of those people who were heading the key offices at u. S. Agm but like so many of other questions questions this too is met with silence. We are separate and equal branch of government and mr. Chairman, this committee deserves the respect of a response. Make no mistake, i believe there are some reforms the need to be done at u. S. Agm and that to take place. Any questionable content such as a video which aired on voice of america to seemingly appear to endorse Vice President biden should also be thoroughly investigated but there is no place for this type of politics inside the u. S. Agm. But i dont think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I asked today once again for ceo pak to release the funding approved by congress under article one of the constitution and released the funding that was approved by congress for otf and to meaningfully engage with congress to provide answers to the basic questions we must ask as part of our oversight duties. Unfortunately, as mr. Pack has decided not to attend todays syrians despite a subpoena from this committee and from congress i hope that todays witnesses can provide us with details about what is going on at the u. S. Agm and in his absence. I believe mr. Chairman, this technology is so important in countries like russia, china, iran and north korea to communicate within the country inside and outside and people in the country communicate among themselves so that they can be in a position to yield back from their oppressors. Without this important tool that congress has authorized and funded we will have a very difficult time in this mission for greater democracy and freedom throughout the world. With that i yield back. I think my friend the Ranking Member and pursuant to notice the committee is convened today to conduct oversight of the u. S. Agency for global media and u. S. International broadcast efforts. As he decided to confide the duly authorized subpoena we will reset the witness table for our second panel. Our Witnesses Today mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman. I have a question. Why dont we leave the empty chair with his name on there to show the people that he just flew our subpoena . That is fine with me. Thank you. Thank you. s or Witnesses Today have played a variety of roles and u. S. Agm over the years and bring a wealth of experience on our International Broadcasting efforts. The backgrounds range from diplomacy to journalism and to policy and to Government Administration and what they have in common is that mr. Pack push them all out of their roles at u. S. Agm or tried to. In my view you have all served admirably and should be thanked for your hard work advancing u. S. Agm important mission. Ambassador is chair of the board of directors of the open Technology Fund and she also serves on the board of the other services until mr. Pack removed her in on the board of governo governors. She also served at that u. S. Ambassador to the organization for Economic Cooperation and development during the obama administration. Ambassador ryan crocker also sits on the board of the open Technology Fund and was previously a member of the other service boards. At the state Department Ambassador crocker was one of our most distinguished career diplomats serving as United States ambassador to afghanistan, iraq, pakistan, syria, kuwait and lebanon. I say that in the middle of the fight. Ms. Bennett is the former director of the voice of america were she served from 2016 until june of this year. She is a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist who previously worked at bloomberg news, lexington herald in the air ogoni and in the wall street journal. Mr. Jaime fly is a former president of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and is now a senior fellow and Senior Advisor to the president at the chairman marshall fund. He proves he worked as the account for foreign and National Security affairs with senator rubio and served on the National SecurityCouncil Staff during the george w. Bush administration. Mr. Grant turner is a chief Financial Officer of the United States agency for global media and also serves as the interim ceo of the agency and fall of last year until june. He previously is serves as budget director for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and at the office of management and budget during the bush and obama administrations. Excuse me. Without objection your complete written testimony will be made part of the record of his hearing and i will recognize you for five minutes each to summary of your testimony. Mr. Turner we will begin with you. Thank you, chairman angle and Ranking Member mccaul and members of the committee. I testify today to disclose and if it concerns about the u. S. Agency for global media specifically related to the dire events that have been unfolding at the agency over the past few months. First let me start by telling you a little bit about myself and u. S. Agm. Ive been privileged to serve in the u. S. Federal Service Service as a career employee for 17 years and most of the last four at this agency in my tenure has spanned multiple president ial administrations and i began working for the federal government with gao and then i worked for omb for six years, three under president bush and three under president obama. I served as a budget director for the mcc and also for the cdc in atlanta, georgia. I have a lot of experience in Government Operations but nothing in my 17 years comes even close to the gross mismanagement and the abuse of authority and the violation of the law that has occurred since michael pak assumed the role of ceo at u. S. Agm in june of this year. Until i was abruptly removed by mr. Pack in midaugust i served as agencies chief Financial Officer for the ninemonth proceeding that i was acting ceo and based on my many interactions with this committee and your staff on a bipartisan basis i know you care very much about our mission to bring truthful news and information to our audiences overseas and i truly thank you for that years long partnership. Today u. S. Agm networks broadcast in six human languages to over 100 Countries Worldwide retain their and a 50 million, listeners and readers weekly. We include the voice of america, Radio Free Europe, radio for asia, middle east broadcasting network, office of cuba broadcasting and are numerous Technology Fund they are a gift from the record people to the world and we sometimes forget with r r much media environment the world is underserved. As one of my colleagues is fond of saying organization exports the First Amendment and is part of the foundation of our nation success. Im very proud to be associated with the 4000 employees that do the work at u. S. Agm and is a privilege to be associated with the journalists, editors, erection specialist, Technology Experts and support staff. They are very passionate about what they do. During the past four years the agency has made notable and important progress especially thanks to then put in support of this committee. So, thank you. Weve modernized the platforms that we broadcast on moving as media markets evolved and going to audiences want us to be from radio to tv to social media in a testament to how well the agency has performed in last several the last several years is borne out by numerous metrics. For instance, between the beginning of fy 2016 and now are global weekly audience has grown from 226 Million People a week to during a 50 Million People per week, 55 increase. Its a good example that we are responding effectively to fastmoving media markets and demonstration the people across the globe crave the truth. Our colleagues are journalists and the agency does not do propaganda and are chargers mandated that editorial decisions are made without outside influence and protected by what we call a firewall. That firewall is much more than an abstract concept but the law and been the law for over three decades. Her audiences live in spaces that our government spend propaganda and miss information in countries where there simply isnt any press and we fill that vacuum with journalism that aims to be the best in class. Unfortunately, i worry about what mr. Pack has done since his arrival. Like many of you im worried about the credibility and goodwill of our networks being destroyed and its taken literally decades to build this trust with your audience and tragically it can be destroyed far more quickly and that is what i fear is happening now. Im worried about a failure to support Important Technology tools developed by the open Technology Fund and ot funds internet firewall circumvention used by audiences in iran, china and russia and other closed societies to be the access the internet and are content. Within days of mr. Packs arrival he declared war on o