History of Sam Brownback in Timeline

Sam Brownback is an American politician and diplomat. He served as a U.S. Senator for Kansas from 1996 to 2011 and as the Governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. As a Republican, Brownback ran for President in 2008. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom under President Donald Trump. His career reflects a blend of domestic policy focus as Governor and Senator, with an emphasis on religious freedom on the international stage.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1915: Reference to 1915

In 2024, Brownback referenced the events of 1915 while advocating for sanctions against Azerbaijan, stating that the United States "can’t let a repeat of 1915 happen again on our watch" at an Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day rally.

1964: Reagan's Economic Principles

In May 2014, Brownback compared his tax policies with those of Ronald Reagan, referring to the economic principles that Reagan laid out in 1964.

1995: Sale of Stauffer Communications

In 1995, Mary Stauffer's family owned and operated Stauffer Communications until its sale.

September 3, 1997: Deposition Regarding Campaign Finance Activities

On September 3, 1997, Meredith O'Rourke, an employee of Triad Management Services, was deposed regarding her activities related to fund raising and advertising for Brownback, with claims that Triad circumvented campaign finance laws.

1998: Brownback Sponsors USCIRF Legislation

In 1998, as a senator, Brownback sponsored the legislation that first created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

2002: Conversion to Catholicism

In 2002, Brownback, formerly an evangelical Christian, converted to Catholicism and became associated with Opus Dei.

2005: Support for Adult Stem Cell Research

In 2005, Brownback showed his support for adult stem cell research and the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act of 2005 by appearing with three children adopted from in vitro fertilization clinics during a Senate debate.

2005: Sponsorship of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005

In 2005, Brownback sponsored the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, which aimed to stiffen penalties for violations of decency standards in broadcasting.

June 15, 2006: President Bush signs Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 into law

On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 sponsored by Brownback, which stiffened the penalties for violations of the Act, allowing the Federal Communications Commission to impose fines of $325,000 for each violation by each station.

2008: Start of Period for Economic Analysis

Economic analysis of Kansas during 2008 to 2018, showed that Kansas' annual GDP growth rate averaged at 0.9%.

January 2011: Brownback Takes Office and Republicans Control Kansas House

In January 2011, Sam Brownback took office as governor of Kansas during the early years of the national recovery from the Great Recession. In January 2011 Republicans also regained control of the Kansas House of Representatives with their largest majority in half a century, most of whom shared Brownback's conservative views as members of the Tea Party movement.

April 2011: Brownback Signs Anti-Abortion Bills

In April 2011, Sam Brownback signed a bill banning abortion after 21 weeks, and a bill requiring that a doctor get a parent's notarized signature before providing an abortion to a minor.

May 2011: Brownback Approves Bill Restricting Abortion Coverage

In May 2011, Sam Brownback approved a bill prohibiting insurance companies from offering abortion coverage as part of general health plans unless the procedure is necessary to save a woman's life. The law also prohibits any health-insurance exchange in Kansas established under the federal Affordable Care Act from offering coverage for abortions other than to save a woman's life.

May 2011: Brownback Directs Slow Implementation of Insurance Exchange

In May 2011, Sam Brownback directed the state's insurance commissioner to slow the implementation timeline for the insurance exchange development. He ultimately declined a $31.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in August.

August 2011: Brownback Attends Rick Perry's Prayer Event

In August 2011, Sam Brownback attended Texas governor Rick Perry's prayer event. His participation in the rally resulted in some controversy.

August 2011: Brownback Declines Federal Grant for Insurance Exchange

In August 2011, over the objections of Republican Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, Sam Brownback announced he was declining a $31.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set up an insurance exchange as part of the federal health care reform law.

August 2011: Support and Criticism for Declining Grant

In August 2011, the move to decline a $31.5 million grant for the insurance exchange was supported by the delegates of the state party central committee, but a New York Times editorial criticized Sam Brownback for turning down the grant which could have helped ease the state's own budget.

2011: Brownback's Tenure Begins

From 2011 to 2018, Sam Brownback served as Kansas' governor. During the full economic analysis period of 2008 to 2018, the state's annual GDP growth rate averaged 0.9%, half of the national average.

2011: Kansas Budget Blocks Planned Parenthood Funding

In 2011, a Kansas budget passed with Brownback's approval blocked Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri from receiving family planning funds from the state. The funding amounted to about $330,000 a year. A judge blocked the provision and ordered Kansas to begin funding the organization again, but the state filed an appeal.

April 2012: Brownback Approval Rating at 34 Percent

In April 2012, a Survey USA Poll indicated that Sam Brownback's approval rating was 34 percent.

May 2012: Brownback Signs Largest Income Tax Cuts into Law

In May 2012, Sam Brownback signed into law one of the largest income tax cuts in Kansas' history, which he described as a live experiment intended to bring economic growth.

May 2012: Brownback Signs Health Care Rights of Conscience Act

In May 2012, Sam Brownback signed the Health Care Rights of Conscience Act, which "will allow pharmacists to refuse to provide drugs they believe might cause an abortion".

May 2012: Republican Poll Shows Brownback Approval at 51 Percent

In May 2012, a Republican polling company found that Sam Brownback's approval rating to be 51 percent.

January 2013: Tax Cuts Take Effect

In January 2013, tax cuts that were later repealed took effect. They were repealed by the Kansas Legislature overriding Brownback's veto in June 6, 2017.

April 2013: Brownback Signs Bill Blocking Tax Breaks for Abortion Providers

In April 2013, Sam Brownback signed a bill that blocked tax breaks for abortion providers, banned sex-selection abortions and declared that life begins at fertilization.

April 2014: Brownback Signs Controversial School Finance Bill

In April 2014, Sam Brownback signed a controversial school finance bill that eliminated mandatory due process hearings, which were previously required to fire experienced teachers.

May 2014: Brownback Compares Tax Policies with Reagan's

In May 2014, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "A Midwest Renaissance Rooted in the Reagan Formula", Sam Brownback compared his tax policies with those of Ronald Reagan and anticipated a "prosperous future" for Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri due to enacting similar policies.

June 2014: Kansas Falls Short of Projected Tax Collections

As of June 2014, Kansas had fallen far short of projected tax collections, receiving $369 million instead of the planned-for $651 million as a result of Brownback's tax cuts.

August 2014: S&P Downgrades Kansas' Credit Rating

In August 2014, S&P Ratings downgraded Kansas' credit rating from AA+ to AA due to a budget that analysts described as structurally unbalanced as a consequence of Brownback's tax cuts.

2014: Budget Shortfall Expected

A forecast from the Legislature's research staff indicated that a budget shortfall would emerge by 2014 due to Brownback's tax cuts.

2014: U.S. Supreme Court Denies Review of Same-Sex Marriage Bans

In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court denied petitions to review federal appellate decisions overturning state bans on same-sex marriage, which favored repeal of Kansas's ban. In response, Brownback defended Kansas's same-sex marriage ban and criticized "activist judges".

February 10, 2015: Executive Order Rescinding Protections for LGBT State Workers

On February 10, 2015, Brownback issued an executive order rescinding protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender state workers, protections that had been put into place eight years prior. The ACLU characterized this action as "religious freedom to discriminate."

April 7, 2015: Brownback Signs Unborn Child Protection Act

On April 7, 2015, Sam Brownback signed The Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act, which bans the most common technique used for second-trimester abortions, making Kansas the first state to ban the procedure.

November 2015: Brownback's Approval Rating the Lowest Among US Governors

In November 2015, a Morning Consult poll revealed that Sam Brownback had an approval rating of 26 percent, making it the lowest among all governors in the United States at that time.

2015: Low Job Growth Rate in Kansas

In 2015, the job growth rate in Kansas was 0.8 percent, among the lowest in America with only "10,900 total nonfarm jobs" added that year.

September 2016: Brownback Ranked Nation's Least Popular Governor

In September 2016, a poll showed that Sam Brownback had an approval rating of 23%, ranking him as the nation's least-popular governor.

February 2, 2017: Senate Passes SB 30

On February 2, 2017, the Kansas Senate passed SB 30 (38–0, with 2 not voting).

February 2017: Kansas Faces Budget Shortfall and Credit Downgrade

In February 2017, Kansas faced a $350 million budget shortfall. Also in February 2017, S&P downgraded Kansas' credit rating to AA−.

February 2017: Bi-Partisan Coalition Presents Bill to Repeal Tax Overhaul

In February 2017, a bi-partisan coalition presented a bill to repeal most of Brownback's tax overhaul to make up for the budget shortfall.

February 22, 2017: House Passes SB 30 as Amended

On February 22, 2017, the Kansas House passed SB 30 as amended (123–2).

March 2017: Brownback Considered for Ambassadorial Roles

In March 2017, it was reported that Sam Brownback was being considered by President Donald Trump to be appointed either as his U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. for Food and Agriculture in Rome, or as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in Washington, DC.

June 5, 2017: Conference Committee Report Adopted by House and Senate

On June 5, 2017, the Conference Committee Report regarding Senate Bill 30 was adopted by both the Kansas House (69–52) and Senate (26–14).

June 6, 2017: Brownback Vetoes SB 30, Overridden by Legislature

On June 6, 2017, Senate Bill 30 was sent to Sam Brownback for signature, but he vetoed the bill. Later in the day both the House and Senate voted to override the veto, effectively repealing most of the tax cuts which had taken effect in January 2013.

June 2017: Brownback's Tax Overhaul Described as Aggressive Experiment

In a June 2017 article in The Atlantic, Brownback's tax overhaul was described as the United States' "most aggressive experiment in conservative economic policy" which "threatened the viability of schools and infrastructure" in Kansas.

2017: Ambassadorial Nomination Awaits Confirmation

As of the end of the 2017 session, Brownback's Ambassadorial nomination had not come up for a confirmation vote and required renomination to come to a vote.

2017: Tech Job Loss Period Begins

During the period between 2017 and 2018, Kansas experienced a net loss of 220 jobs, according to a 2019 report.

2017: Attendance at Evangelical Church

In 2017, Brownback stated that he sometimes attends an evangelical church with his family.

2017: Criticism of the Brownback Experiment

In 2017, Heidi Holliday, executive director of the Kansas Center for Economic Growth, stated that "The Brownback experiment didn't work. We saw that loud and clear."

2017: Kansas Legislature Overrides Brownback's Vetoes to Repeal Tax Cuts

In 2017, after a protracted battle, the new Kansas Legislature overrode Brownback's vetoes, voting to repeal his tax cuts and enact tax increases.

January 8, 2018: Brownback Renominated as Ambassador

On January 8, 2018, Sam Brownback was renominated as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

January 24, 2018: Senate Confirms Brownback as Ambassador

On January 24, 2018, the Senate voted to advance Sam Brownback's nomination to the floor, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote to end the Democrats' filibuster. Later that day, Pence again cast the tie-breaking vote, confirming the nomination.

July 2018: Forecasted Budget Shortfall

A forecast indicated that a budget shortfall will emerge by 2014 and will grow to nearly US$2.5 billion by July 2018 due to income tax cuts signed into law.

2018: Kansas Farm Bankruptcy Rate Increase

By 2018, the last year of the Brownback administration, Kansas had the second-highest farm-bankruptcy rate increase in the nation (after New York) — a decade-high rate for the state.

2018: Tech Job Loss Period Ends

During the period between 2017 and 2018, Kansas experienced a net loss of 220 jobs, according to a 2019 report.

2018: End of Period for Economic Analysis

Economic analysis of Kansas during 2008 to 2018, showed that Kansas' annual GDP growth rate averaged at 0.9%.

2018: Brownback Leaves Office with Low Approval

In 2018, Sam Brownback, who had a 66% disapproval rating after the repeal of his signature law, left office as one of the least popular governors in the country.

2018: Kansas City Star Named Pulitzer Prize Finalist

In 2018, The Kansas City Star was named a finalist in the Public Service category for a Pulitzer Prize for its series entitled "Why so secret, Kansas?" which reported that Kansas's secretive state government had only grown worse under Brownback.

2019: Report on Kansas Tech Job Growth

A 2019 report from the KC Tech Council indicated that Kansas growth in tech jobs ranked next-to-last in the nation, with a net loss of 220 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

2023: Advocacy for Closer U.S.-Armenia Relations

In 2023, Brownback advocated for closer relations between the United States and Armenia in a Washington Times opinion piece, citing the need to defend the country from aggression by Azerbaijan and calling for Israel to support Armenia.

April 24, 2024: Calls for Sanctions Against Azerbaijan

On April 24, 2024, Brownback called for sanctions against Azerbaijan at an Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day rally in front of the White House, stating, "we can’t let a repeat of 1915 happen again on our watch."