#sam brownback

From the June 3, 2022 opinion piece by former governor and senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas):

Many Americans, and certainly conservatives, are deeply concerned when they see hugely expensive, radical and heavy regulatory approaches put forward to address climate concerns. But when they see few options or limited interest from conservatives, they think there is only one way to address the issue. We must get into this public debate and do so with sensible ideas that appeal to the American public.  

A way forward is balancing what I like to call “the three Es”: energy, the environment and the economy. We must meet these three needs without sacrificing any of them.

As a Kansan, I'd like to apologize for the discrimination that is about to be allowed under Sam Brownback as the ambassador for "religious freedom."

Initially, I was thrilled to learn he was stepping down as governor. He decreased educational funding to the point that he had to borrow (read: steal) from my mother's retirement to keep schools open. He made our state an example of how conservative principles of state funding flat-out don't work.

He was recommended for the position by people who declare themselves to be followers of Jesus Christ, because he has a history of supporting the legalization of discrimination against LGBT+ peoples. He's also heavily against granting refugees asylum.

So, I'm sorry, citizens of earth with any ounce of humanity. As a Christian, I'm sickened by this. Know that there are some of us who remember the recorded words and actions of Jesus Christ, rather than the capitalist Jesus promoted far and wide.

Trump appoints Sam Brownback as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom

Trump also quietly announced Wednesday that he nominated Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback to become the new ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

The ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom heads up the Office of International Religious Freedom, whose mission is to promote “religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy.” 

How vile is Trump's nominee for godbotherer-at-large? Let us count the ways.

From Stacey Leasca's article at mic.com, Sam Brownback: 3 things to know about Trump's nominee for ambassador-at-large for religious freedom https://mic.com/articles/182942/sam-brownback-3-things-to-know-about-trumps-nominee-for-ambassador-at-large-for-religious-freedom

From the article:

Who exactly is Sam Brownback?

Brownback, 60, has served as the governor of Kansas since he was elected in 2010 following a failed presidential bid. As Politico reported, prior to serving as governor, Brownback was a state representative in 1995 and 1996 and a state senator from 1996 to 2011.

According to a recent poll by Morning Consult, Brownback is the second least-popular governor in the United States, polling only slightly behind New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

What does his political history look like?

In recent years, Brownback has focused his efforts on tax-cutting measures, which many believe led to the state’s significant budget shortfalls.

However, Brownback has also focused much of his attention on religiously motivated legislation throughout his political career, including becoming a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which created the position of ambassador-at-large.

Brownback also issued an executive order in 2015 protecting the religious freedom of clergy and organizations that opposed the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, Reuters reported. “We ... recognize that religious liberty is at the heart of who we are as Kansans and Americans, and should be protected,” Brownback said.

Brownback is also adamant that the United States defund Planned Parenthood. In his 2016 State of the State address, Brownback said:

In 2011, I signed legislation stopping most taxpayer funding from going to Planned Parenthood. The time has come to finish the job. Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of baby body parts is antithetical to our belief in human dignity. Today, I am directing Secretary Susan Mosier to ensure that not a single dollar of taxpayer money goes to Planned Parenthood through our Medicaid program. I welcome legislation that would enshrine this directive in state law.

Brownback believes life begins at conception, opposes abortion even in instances of rape, voted yes on a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage, voted no on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes and signed an executive order directing that no Kansas state agency shall participate or assist in the relocation of Syrian refugees. Check out Brownback’s entire voting record here.