Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement today after the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which includes his amendment to begin reforming the Broadcasting Board of Governors:

“I am pleased to support this bipartisan legislation that funds our troops and keeps the country safe by providing critical tools to tackle new threats, including the weaponization of information by ISIS and Russia.

“The United States’ response to this onslaught of propaganda has been crippled, in part, by bureaucracy.  Our agencies that helped take down the Iron Curtain with accurate and timely broadcasting have lost their edge.  They must be revitalized to effectively carry out their mission in this age of viral terrorism and digital propaganda.  My provision takes an important first step in this process by replacing the BBG’s part-time board with a permanent CEO to help better deliver real news to people in countries where free press does not exist.

NOTE: For more on Chairman Royce’s long push for reforms to U.S. international broadcasting, click HERE.

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