Overview
- A congressional filing shows President Trump formally sent the withdrawal on Monday, following months of stalled progress.
- Sen. Rand Paul opposed the pick after grilling Rayburn in May over allegations he helped obscure U.S. troop levels in Syria, a claim Rayburn denied under oath.
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nomination 15–7 last week, with Sen. Jacky Rosen crossing party lines to move it to the floor.
- Committee votes were repeatedly canceled over the summer as Republicans and the White House lobbied Paul and Rosen to shift their positions.
- Administration sources say the White House will proceed with a different nominee for the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs role.