In September, President Obama made headlines when he nominated Eric Fanning, an openly gay man, to succeed John McHugh as Army Secretary. Fanning eagerly stepped into his new role over the next four months–only to abruptly step out of it again.

All presidential appointments have to be approved by the Senate before a nominee can fully accept their positions. However, Fanning’s nomination has hung in limbo since November, and there’s no indication that the Senate will be fast-tracking his approval anytime soon.

Fanning has served as the Acting Army Secretary since his nomination, but he volunteered temporarily drop the role after members of the Armed Services Committee worried that he was violating the Vacancies Act. Remember, the Senate is supposed to approve nominees before they start doing their jobs. While taking over for McHugh made sense in September, the confirmation process has been drawn out too long for Fanning to remain Acting Army Secretary.

In the meantime, Fanning will work for the Secretary of State.

“We expect this move to be of a short duration and for Fanning to achieve speedy confirmation,” DoD Press Secretary Peter Cook said. “He remains one of the most qualified nominees to be a service secretary, having served in many senior executive positions in each of the three military departments and as chief of staff of the department.”

Sen. Pat Robertson placed Fanning’s nomination on hold in November to protest President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay. While the White House rejected plans to close the prison, the president remains committed to shutting down the prison while he still can.