WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Joel Rayburn, an envoy for Syria during his first White House term, to be assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The Republican president nominated Rayburn in February for the State Department position overseeing Middle East policy. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held his confirmation hearing in May.
But Republican Senator Rand Paul and committee Democrats had concerns about Trump’s choice, and the panel held an unusual vote last week in favor only of advancing the nomination, not recommending Rayburn to the full Senate.
One of the sources said Rayburn did not have enough votes to proceed and that the administration will move ahead in a different direction.
Senators had questioned whether Rayburn had been involved in misleading U.S. officials about the number of U.S. troops in Syria during Trump’s first term. Rayburn said at the hearing that he had no role in any deception.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the withdrawal, which was first reported by online media outlet Axios.
Rayburn served at the State Department and the National Security Council during Trump’s first administration.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Steve Holland; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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