Bill Keating Erupts At Kari Lake Over Threats To Journalists At Risk Overseas

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At today's House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) questioned Voice of America Director Kari Lake.

Transcript

00:00is now recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here. I think if we look at

00:05Exhibit A in terms of the value of global media, we look no further than Iran. The Trump

00:14administration took great attention towards the bombing that occurred. But to really be successful,

00:23what's going to be necessary is not just strong diplomacy, but changing the views of the people

00:29that live there. And Secretary Rubio in his Senate confirmation stressed that there's probably

00:37no greater discrepancy between the actions of one government and their people than Iran.

00:43And even before this action, before the war, 6.6 million Iranians, 10% of the adult population,

00:52got their news from Florida, radio-free network that's there. And it's produced

00:59in an agency that you sought to terminate the contracts of at a time when it's needed more

01:09than ever. Cutting transmission feeds from the Middle East Broadcasting Network. This resulted

01:17in 90% of those actions of yours, 90% of the staff being cut. Some of the people on Radio

01:24for Europe Radio Liberty are furloughed. Programming's been reduced at a time when we need it the most.

01:33I'm concerned also, not just with the cuts, but I'm concerned for the journalists that report

01:38this news. They're in great jeopardy. A lot of attention to your open remarks went to vetting

01:45and the extreme efforts that you're doing for vetting. I want to know what you're doing to protect

01:51those journalists. One just recently released the other day after four years of detainment

01:58by the Russians, talked about the way he was tortured and physically abused and psychologically

02:06abused. These are journalists that are there. These are people trying to bring the word of democracy

02:13to people that have not. What are you doing to support these journalists? What attention?

02:19I didn't notice it in your opening remarks. That should be first and foremost.

02:23What are you doing to protect these people?

02:25I agree. I think the safety and security of journalists is very important. I was a journalist

02:30in my past profession, and so it's critically important, and I don't think that they've done

02:35enough to protect them. I'm thankful that recently, in the last few days, one journalist who was being

02:40held was released thanks to President Trump. And, you know, I think you need to ask RFE, Radio Free Europe,

02:46what they're doing to protect their employees. I just got to the agency three months ago, and

02:51what, the question is, why are we hiring? I would like to know, matter if I may, reclaiming my time.

02:55Why are we hiring more Americans? I'm reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman.

02:58You know, it's sort of like blaming the group that's advocating for these people. What are they

03:06doing? I'll tell you what they're doing. They've simply asked for a meeting with you.

03:10It's hard to meet with somebody when they're suing you.

03:13I have a letter that I'd like to ask, unanimous consent be put in the record, from the president

03:19of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, the president of Radio Free Asia, the president of Middle East

03:25Broadcasting Networks, dated April 30th, simply asking for some kind of communications or meeting

03:31with you regarding these issues of detainment. I'd also like to put into the record an article.

03:40There's an audience in Iran and the Middle East surge as funding for Fadr and Elora of Mideast Israel

03:47is in jeopardy. If you look at what's happening, and you look what happened since the

03:54bombing occurred, and since the war occurred, you just see dramatic increases in the listenership,

04:02just proving how vital this is to people that aren't getting other messages.

04:07Radio Fadr traffic surged 344%. The Instagram account, 62.5 million increases, a rise of 77%.

04:18These are things that are necessary, and you are cutting the agreements. Thank goodness the

04:23courts are saying no to you. But why would you ever want to do this here? Why would you not,

04:31why do you better say, I want to know what Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty is doing to protect the

04:37journalists, when the U.S. and you have a role in doing it, and you won't even take a meeting from

04:43the people that want to meet and discuss the dangers to these journalists. I hope that you will take that

04:50meeting, and we get a confirmation for you by the end of this hearing, that you will meet them

04:53soon, and discuss these issues. People's lives are in danger, trying to tell the truth. I yield back.

05:00If they would drop their malicious lawsuit, I'd be happy to meet with them, but it would be really

05:03stupid to meet with someone who's suing you. And, you know, this is a gentleman who makes about $310,000,

05:09$320,000 off the backs of hardworking Americans, and is suing our agency. We've given,

05:15we've given him all... An official who's making money off the backs of Americans when we have a

05:19commander-in-chief making the money he's making. So I don't... President Donald Trump donates his salary

05:25back. Chairman, can... Chairman, can... Chairman... Gentleman yields back. Thank you. Gentleman's time

05:27has expired. This is submitted for the record. I was glancing through it.

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