The appointment of a new US ambassador to New Zealand, to replace David Huebner who has already left the post, has been delayed in the US Senate.Former professional baseballer and prominent Democratic Party fundraiser Mark Gilbert has been nominated by President Barack Obama as the new US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.But while the White House last October revealed Gilbert as their selection, his posting has been stalled by Republicans who have stalled the approval process to a halt in the Senate, the Orlando Sentinel reports.On Monday evening, the White House confirmed to the newspaper that 57-year-old Gilbert's nomination was formally sent again to the Senate with a list of around 200 others.Officially, he's nominated to be \Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to New Zealand