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From Politico: The Senate voted 55-44 on Wednesday to confirm Scott Turner as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, putting the former developer in charge of an agency that he says is failing to fulfill its mission.
Turner, a motivational speaker and onetime professional football player, will take over a department with a $70 billion budget and roughly 8,000 employees at a time when housing has risen to the political forefront after costs soared in the wake of the pandemic.
Turner offered few details of his plans for the agency during his confirmation hearing last month, repeatedly saying he wanted to first take inventory of which HUD programs work and which don’t.
“HUD is failing at its most basic mission,” he told lawmakers, pointing to the affordable housing crisis as proof.
Turner previously served during President Trump’s first term in office as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, and worked with then-HUD Director Dr. Ben Carson.
U.S. Senate CONFIRMS Eric Turner to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 55-44. pic.twitter.com/3moTlyyJPe
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 5, 2025
After his nomination had been voted out of the committee last month and advanced to the full Senate, Turner had posted the following statement:
“Grateful to Chairman Scott and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for voting on my nomination. It was a pleasure meeting with nearly all of the committee members and I look forward to continuing our important work together if confirmed on the floor of the Senate.”
Grateful to Chairman Scott and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for voting on my nomination. It was a pleasure meeting with nearly all of the committee members and I look forward to continuing our important work together if confirmed on the floor of the… pic.twitter.com/vRVvxKwwnj
— Scott Turner (@sturnerofficial) January 23, 2025
In another post on January 28, Turner wrote: “Senators, this is a clarion call. Poverty has no party. Homelessness has no party. It doesn’t see red or blue. My call is to be a steward, a champion, an ambassador. I want to lift up the stories of all the forgotten Americans. And I want to work with you to do it.”
— Scott Turner (@sturnerofficial) January 28, 2025
Turner delivered a motivational speech during a presidential cabinet meeting during Trump’s first term in office that went viral at the time.
Congratulations to the new Secretary of HUD, Scott Turner! pic.twitter.com/3ek01nULEZ
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) February 5, 2025
Congratulations to our new HUD Secretary Scott Turner! pic.twitter.com/gf9kRNTDFZ
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 5, 2025
Senate confirms Scott Turner for HUD post https://t.co/xNpG4goduH
— POLITICO (@politico) February 5, 2025
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