Two weeks after Sen. Neil Brown announced that he will resign from the Senate by the end of this term, the ASUO Executive has opened the search for a replacement to fill his Programs Finance Committee seat.
Brown, who was elected in May and served on Summer Senate, will be leaving in January for an internship with the U.S. mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium. ASUO Vice President Chii-San SunOwen said she wants Brown’s replacement to be confirmed by the first Senate meeting of winter term at the very latest in order to serve during the PFC’s budgeting process.
“It’s bittersweet,” Brown said. He said he applied for the internship before he won his Senate seat and he announced his resignation as soon as he was offered the spot in Brussels.
Brown’s replacement will be selected by a hiring committee chosen by the Executive. Whomever the committee selects will have to be confirmed by a majority of the Senate.
Other senators emphasised that Brown’s departure will leave an opening not only on the PFC but in the full Senate, where, in the words of SunOwen, Brown is an “initiator” during floor debates.
“He’s very outspoken,” Sen. Dan Feldman said. “He generally thinks very rationally. He has a lot of the same ideas I have.”
Brown, who calls himself a political moderate, is often the most vocal of a relatively more conservative bloc of senators. Feldman said Brown was nearly “a clone of myself with a louder voice.” Feldman said he thinks the role Brown has played will likely be divided among several senators once Brown leaves.
Though the search for a replacement is already underway, Brown said he is worried the position could remain vacant through winter term. He said the Executive has been slow in filling other open positions. He said he’s also worried about the political views his replacement will have and the learning curve any new senator will face when jumping directly into the budgeting process.
“I’d like it to be someone I’m happy with. I guess I’ll have the vote on the confirmation,” he said, should the appointee come before the Senate this term.
“It’s the Senate’s responsibility to make sure (the appointee is) not only qualified, but going to serve the students well. I mean, qualified is pretty subjective,” Brown said. He said the Senate should not “rubber stamp” any nominee.
Sen. Karen Trippe agreed. She said she dislikes when other senators complain about an appointee being asked tough questions.
“It won’t be an easy appointment. This isn’t pattycake pansy time,” Trippe said. “You have to ask questions.”
[email protected]