13 former officials sign open letter about importance of White House press briefings

In an open letter, a group of 13 former White House press secretaries, foreign service and military officials call for the return of regular White House and other press briefings. Here’s who signed the opinion piece published by CNN:

• Ambassador Richard Boucher, former spokesman and Assistant Secretary of State (administrations of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush)
• Ambassador Nicholas Burns, former State Department spokesman (George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush)
• Jay Carney, former White House press secretary (Barack Obama)
• Victoria Clarke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for public affairs (George W. Bush)
• Robert Gibbs, former White House press secretary (Barack Obama)
• Adm. John Kirby, former Assistant Secretary of State, former Pentagon press secretary (Barack Obama); Kirby is a CNN analyst.
• Joe Lockhart, former White House press secretary (Bill Clinton); Lockhart is a CNN political commentator.
• George Little, former Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for public affairs (Barack Obama)
• Scott McClellan, former White House press secretary (George W. Bush)
• Michael McCurry, former White House press secretary and State Department spokesman (Bill Clinton)
• Dee Dee Myers, former White House press secretary (Bill Clinton)
• Jen Psaki, former State Department spokeswoman and White House communications director (Barack Obama); Psaki is a CNN political commentator.
• Jake Siewert, former White House press secretary (Bill Clinton)