good report from @CTmagazine on disputes at USCIRF (US #religiousfreedom watchdog agency) and good insights from @CSeiple. These debates have big ramifications for future of US human rights promotion, worth following, as I've argued in @DuckofMinerva @RNS. For this debate... https://twitter.com/CSeiple/status/1199015497708134401

I sympathize w/ the reformers. The hostility to the professional staff is concerning, as they are dedicated, smart people. And I would like to see more oversight of commissioners- they are political appointees w/ uneven expertise, sometimes undermine policy coherence...

...for example, recent appointees are Johnnie Moore&Tony Perkins, evangelical Trump supporters. Perkins recently claimed impeachment was bc of Trump's "pro-life" policies. Moore has praised both Saudi Arabia&Egypt on human rights.

this undermines #religiousfreedom promotion, and can lead many to question its credibility, sincerity. So some more oversight on what they're doing would be helpful. At the least, @CSeiple idea for a thorough review of US policy would help

one final note- this is why I keep pushing progressives to follow this issue. Our voice is needed in these debates. https://religionnews.com/2019/11/21/its-time-for-democrats-to-start-talking-about-international-religious-freedom/