Sources: Brownback in talks about U.N. ambassadorship

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is in talks with President Trump’s administration about taking an ambassadorship, according to sources close to the governor.

No offer has been extended yet, the sources said, but the governor has discussed the possibility of taking a position as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for food and agriculture in Rome.

It has been rumored since November that Brownback, who is close with Vice President Mike Pence, could land a job in the Trump administration. The governor has not talked about his prospects.

Kansas Public Radio reported Wednesday afternoon that Brownback was poised to be named ambassador, citing an unnamed source who called it a “done deal.”

Several sources close to the governor framed the situation as more tentative than that.

“The Trump administration has been in touch with him about several opportunities, but he’s not made a decision to move forward with any of those at this time,” said one source with close ties to Brownback.

‘A good pick’

Another source with ties to Brownback described the public radio report as premature but said the position would be a great fit for Brownback, who was Kansas secretary of agriculture and spent 14 years on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“He’d be a good pick for anywhere in the diplomatic corps based on his experience,” the source said.

The ambassador serves as the U.S. government’s conduit to three Rome-based international organizations dedicated to combating global hunger: the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

George McGovern, who was Richard Nixon’s opponent in the 1972 presidential election, held the post from 1998 to 2001.

Brownback’s office would not confirm the report.

“Governor Brownback is focused on working with the Kansas legislature to balance the budget and pass a modern school funding system,” said Melika Willoughby, the governor’s spokeswoman.

Pressed on whether she denied the report, Willoughby repeated the comment.

The White House would not comment on the matter.

Two officials in Kansas government also said Brownback has had discussions about the position but has not made a decision yet.

Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, said he had no first-hand knowledge of an appointment but that the report is consistent with things he has heard.

Sen. Bud Estes, R-Dodge City, said he’s felt all along that Trump would tap Brownback for some kind of job in the administration.

“I fully expect that President Trump will use him in some ambassador function somewhere, sometime, because I think he’d be fabulous at it,” Estes said.　

Colyer would become governor

If Brownback were to agree to take this or another position and were to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a Johnson County plastic surgeon, would succeed him as governor as the state faces questions about its long-term finances.

The state faces a roughly $1 billion shortfall through June 2019. Brownback and the Legislature have struggled to find consensus on how to address that. The state also must enact a new school finance system by June 30 after the Kansas Supreme Court concluded that the state has failed to ensure adequate education funding for all students.

House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita, said Colyer would have “a great opportunity” to be seen as a problem solver if he can work with the Legislature on the budget deficit, school finance and taxation.

“He has to ask himself: ‘Do I want to be a part of the solution, or am I going to continue Brownback’s obstruction?’ ” Ward said.

He said although Colyer has been in the Statehouse for 12 years, including his six years in the Legislature, he remains a bit of an unknown.

Colyer was one of the primary architects of KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid system.

His visibility has increased in recent months as he’s been out front on several issues for the administration, ranging from efforts to improve rural health care to the long-term goal of building a commercial airport in Johnson County.

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Sources: Brownback in talks about U.N. ambassadorship."