U.S. Agency for Global Media
The first voting members of the BBG, confirmed on August 11, 1995, were David W. Burke, Ted Kaufman, Tom C. Korologos, Bette Bao Lord, Alberto J. Mora, Cheryl Halpern, Marc Nathanson, and Carl Spielvogel.[17] In a January 2015 interview with The New York Times, the then newly appointed CEO of the BBG, Andrew Lack, said "We are facing a number of challenges from entities like Russia Today which is out there pushing a point of view, the Islamic State in the Middle East and groups like Boko Haram.It previously supervised USAGM media networks directly, but was replaced with a single appointed chief executive officer (CEO) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, passed in December 2016.[24] State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified Lack's statement in her January 23 press briefing, saying "would the U.S. Government put those three in the same category?"[25][non-primary source needed] On January 19, 2021, the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, representing fired USAGM employees and whistleblowers, sent a letter to the congressional foreign affairs committees, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, and the Inspector General of the US Department of State.In June 2018, President Trump announced his intention to nominate documentary film producer Michael Pack to head the agency.He was confirmed by the Senate two years later, and served from June 5, 2020 until January 20, 2021, when he was asked to resign at the request of newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden.All six members shall not be regular, full-time employees of the U.S. government, and be appointed on the basis of being distinguished in the fields of public diplomacy, mass communications, print, broadcast or digital media, or foreign affairs.[41] During the federal funding dispute for the fiscal year 2011, President Barack Obama sided with the BBG agreeing to language that the organization would "expand unrestricted access to information on the Internet.[43] President Biden's budget request for 2023 includes $840 million for USAGM, which the Agency says will enable them to continue their "vital mission to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.In February 2010, BBG Executive Director Jeff Trimble collaborated with the National Security Council to publish a VOA statement about Iran's jamming[45] of international satellites."[46] Senator Jim DeMint also attempted to use the nominations to force a hearing on the BBG after frustrations with a perceived lack of congressional oversight over the organization."[46] Though a report on BBG was eventually given to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,[47] Coburn was ultimately unsuccessful in trying to block the appointments to the board.