{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-murphy-statement-on-usagms-repeal-of-firewall-regulation", "Murphy Statement On USAGMS Repeal Of Firewall RegulationRead More", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Murphy Statement On USAGM'S Repeal Of Firewall Regulation \n        \n        October 27, 2020\n      \n        \n          WASHINGTONU.S. Senator\r\nChris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations\r\nCommittee, on Tuesday issued a statement on USAGM CEO Michael Pack's rescission\r\nof the firewall regulation in the International Broadcasting Act: Whether Michael Pack wants\r\nit there or not, Congress cemented the firewall at USAGM in legal statute to\r\nprotect broadcasters from the very outside political interference we're seeing\r\nright before our eyes. America is a democracy, and the firewall that was\r\ncodified as part of the International Broadcasting Act is what distinguishes\r\nUSAGM-funded networks from state-sponsored propaganda we see in places like\r\nRussia and China. We cannot allow the president's political appointees to\r\ninfluence journalistic content and we must ensure the law remains on the side\r\nof the journalistsnot Trump's political hacks, said Murphy. Earlier this\r\nmonth, Murphy announced\r\nlegislation to protect journalists from political targeting. This\r\nlegislation comes afterreportsthat President\r\nTrump's political appointees at the United States Global Agency for Media\r\n(USAGM) launched a politically-motivated investigation into Voice of America's\r\nWhite House Reporter Steve Herman. The\r\nlegislation: \r\nAmends\r\nthe United States International Broadcasting Act to explicitly protect USAGM\r\njournalists from interference from U.S. government officials, including any\r\ninvestigation into journalists' private political views; \r\nRequires\r\nthe CEO of the USAGM to protect its journalists from interference by government\r\nagencies or officials, and to ensure that USAGM employees are judged on the\r\nbasis of their adherence to professional standards of broadcast journalism and\r\nnot on political views expressed in their private capacity; and \r\nAuthorizes\r\nthe State Department Inspector General to investigate any potential\r\ninfringements to journalistic independence by United States Agency for Global\r\nMedia senior officials or other Federal officials, including informal and\r\nformal attempts to influence the content of broadcasts or to exert pressure on\r\njournalists. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-murphy-statement-on-usagms-repeal-of-firewall-regulation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.077732002362609, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}