By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Tuesday, January 24, 2017, US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) voted to confirm Dr. Ben Carson as the next HUD Secretary, when the nomination was voted on in the Senate committee. Dr. Carson, 65, is President Donald J. Trump’s pick to head the cabinet post at HUD, an agency that Carson criticized during his presidential campaign.
Sen. Shelby said, “This morning in the Senate Banking Committee, I voted for Dr. Ben Carson to become our next Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is my hope that the full Senate will swiftly confirm his nomination, and I look forward to working with him.”
The Chairman of the Committee, US Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) said in a statement, “Dr. Carson has achieved a great deal of success during his impressive and accomplished career, and I was encouraged by his recent testimony before the Committee. He is committed to carrying forth the mandate of HUD and learning more from people directly affected by HUD policies. Now that his nomination has been voted favorably out of the Committee, it is my hope that the full senate will follow suit in a timely manner.”
Senator Crapo said, “Dr. Benjamin Carson was raised by a single mother in an impoverished part of the city of Detroit. He attended Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, and later became a highly accomplished and respected neurosurgeon.”
Sen. Crapo continued, “Dr. Carson was named director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1984 at the age of 33, the youngest such director in the nation. He gained national fame in the 1980s by becoming the first doctor to lead an operation that separated twins conjoined at the head, one of many high profile operations led by Dr. Carson. In addition to his successful career as a surgeon, Dr. Carson is also a decorated author and speaker who has written numerous best-selling books on a range of topics. He also ran for President this past election, and spent months traveling the country listening to the American people about the problems and issues that they faced, including with respect to housing. Throughout his career, Dr. Carson has achieved a great deal of success. He has demonstrated a fervent intensity for improving the lives of his fellow Americans, and his intellect, leadership, and life experiences are unique, valuable assets for leading an agency like HUD.”
Sen. Crapo said, “Dr. Carson has said he plans to continue his conversation with the American people and do a listening tour if confirmed. This is an encouraging sign that Dr. Carson wants to hear from stakeholders and, more importantly, from the American people.
Carson is expected to be confirmed with little opposition.
Ranking Minority Member Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said, “Dr. Carson is not the nominee I would have chosen to lead HUD, due to both his lack of experience and his often troubling public statements over the last three years. But despite my reservations, and my disagreements with some of his positions, I will give Dr. Carson the benefit of the doubt based on commitments he has made to me in person and to this Committee in his testimony and written responses. This includes Dr. Carson’s promises to address the scourge of lead hazards that threaten the health and futures of children in Ohio and nationwide; uphold the Fair Housing Act and the housing rights of LGBTQ individuals; and advocate for rental assistance, investment to end homelessness, and including housing in the President’s infrastructure plan. I will do everything in my power to hold Dr. Carson accountable for making good on his promises.”
President Donald J Trump said, “Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities. We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities. Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a presidency representing all Americans,” he added. “He is a tough competitor and never gives up.”
The nomination will now move on to the a vote by the full Senate.
