The US Senate has confirmed David Brat, a former Virginia congressman, as the next US ambassador to Australia. The role had been vacant for 18 months prior to Brat’s confirmation.
US President Donald Trump nominated Brat in April, and his nomination was among more than 70 votes pushed through the Senate by Republicans before the body’s summer recess.
According to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, “He will find Australia to be a warm host and a good friend. We share his priorities of critical minerals, defence cooperation and partnership in the Indo-Pacific.”
Brat, a former economics professor, served two terms in the US House of Representatives as a Republican. He is known for his Christian nationalist views. Brat gained national prominence in 2014 when he defeated the Republican Party’s then House Leader Eric Cantor in a primary, an event described as “one of the most stunning upsets in modern political history” by the New York Times.
Article and image source: thesaturdaypaper.com.au
