Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says he’s been told by the White House that his nomination as ambassador for religious freedom will be re-submitted. The original nomination, announced by President Trump in July, expired when the U.S. Senate failed to confirm him before the end of the year.
Brownback says he’s hoping the process now moves more quickly.
“I believe I’m going to be confirmed and fairly soon," Brownback says. "But, this is the Senate and this is a difficult time."
Many Senate Democrats are opposed to Brownback’s nomination based on his stance on women’s reproductive rights and protections for gay people.
Brownback says he won’t step down as governor until he is confirmed. He’ll give his eighth and final State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday.
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Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @KPRKoranda.