President Donald J. Trump Makes Critical IRF Appointments
USCIRF welcomes the nomination of Jane “Cissie” Lynch as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, along with the appointment of three new bipartisan Commissioners.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Donald J. Trump’s nomination of Jane “Cissie” Lynch to be the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (IRF), alongside the appointments of Andrew Brunson, Robert Barron, and Joe Grogan as Commissioners on the Commission. Beyond leading the International Religious Freedom Office at the State Department, Ambassador-Designate Lynch would also serve as an ex-officio member of the Commission.
“President Trump’s announcement is a vital step in advancing the human right of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad. USCIRF calls for a swift confirmation process for IRF Ambassador-Designate Lynch. Filling these roles demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the United States to international religious freedom as a priority in foreign policy.” Asif Mahmood, USCIRF Chair
The Ambassador at Large and Commissioner roles are established in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended. Beyond the status as an ex-officio member of the Commission, IRFA stipulates that the Ambassador also serves as the principal executive branch official working on FoRB. The Commission, an independent legislative branch agency, has members appointed on a bipartisan basis — three from the President, three from U.S. Senate leadership, and three from leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. With President Trump’s appointment of three new USCIRF Commissioners, the Commission now has the requisite complement of bipartisan Commissioners as outlined in IRFA.
“In addition to the announcement of the nomination of Ambassador-Designate Lynch, we welcome the three new USCIRF Commissioners: Robert Barron, Andrew Brunson, and Joe Grogan. With these appointments, USCIRF’s full bipartisan composition further supports our efforts to advance religious freedom abroad for all. We look forward to working together.” CeCe Heil, USCIRF Vice Chair
The three newly appointed Commissioners bring decades of combined experience in religious leadership, diplomacy, and public policy:
Robert Barron
Appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump, Robert Barron serves as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester. He hosted the PBS documentary series Catholicism and founded Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He formerly served on the domestic policy–focused Religious Liberty Commission. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed Barron an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Andrew Brunson
Appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump, Andrew Brunson is a pastor and former missionary in Turkey for 23 years. In 2016, he was arrested on false charges and held in detention for two years. Released after diplomatic pressure, he authored the memoir God’s Hostage and leads WaveStarters, a ministry focused on persecuted Christians worldwide.
Joe Grogan
Appointed to USCIRF by President Donald J. Trump, Joe Grogan is the former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council and assistant to President Trump. A public policy and healthcare expert, he has worked across Wall Street, Life Sciences, and Emerging Technologies. He is a Visiting Senior Scholar at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Institute.
About USCIRF: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief.
To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@USCIRF.gov.
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