[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 37 (Thursday, March 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1546-S1548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following
nomination, which the clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of
Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., of Florida, to be Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 20
minutes of debate equally divided.
If nobody yields time, the time will be charged equally.
The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I stand this morning just before we vote on
Dr. Benjamin Carson as the next Secretary of the Department of Housing
and Urban Development to strongly urge my colleagues to support his
nomination.
Dr. Carson was advanced in the committee by a voice vote, as Senator
Brown and I worked with the Banking Committee to assure that his
nomination moved through smoothly. I thank Senator Brown for his
cooperation and work to help us move this nomination promptly.
Dr. Carson also received numerous letters of support from former HUD
Secretaries and housing stakeholders alike. There truly is an
excitement for his leadership to be brought to the Department.
As I highlighted yesterday, Dr. Carson has said that once confirmed,
he is committed to embarking on a listening tour, where he will hear
stories and concerns from housing stakeholders across America. This
presents a real opportunity for Americans to weigh in on how housing
issues affect them in their local communities--input that can make a
lasting impact on HUD policies.
Once Dr. Carson is confirmed, we can begin working on several
important issues under HUD's jurisdiction. Homelessness, especially
among our Nation's veterans, needs to be addressed. We need to
streamline regulatory burdens on local public housing agencies so that
they can more efficiently serve the communities that rely on them.
Financing arrangements for small and rural affordable housing
developments should also be strengthened.
For years, there has been bipartisan interest in a number of these
reforms. I look forward to having a strong partner at HUD so that we
can tackle these important issues and many others head-on. I am eager
to get that process started and to start work with Dr. Carson, with
Ranking Member Brown, and
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with other members of the Banking Committee on these critical issues.
Again, I urge my colleagues to vote to confirm Dr. Carson so that
this important work can begin.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development plays a vital role ensuring that all Americans have access
to safe affordable housing. Affordable housing should not be a
political issue; it is a moral issue. Programs like Section 8 and the
Community Development Block Grant, CDBG, Program keep families in their
homes and support and maintain affordable housing. That is not up for
debate.
I am disappointed that President Trump did not look to our
knowledgeable housing advocates across the country to identify a
qualified, experienced nominee to serve as Secretary of the Department
of Housing and Urban Development and instead nominated Dr. Ben Carson
to this important position. In testimony before the Senate Banking
Committee, Dr, Carson, like many nominees, said the right things. He
made the right promises. I want to believe that he will fulfill those
commitments.
Programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development keep shelter over the heads of our Nation's struggling and
low-income families. They combat homelessness among adults and children
alike by building and maintaining affordable housing and helping
families buy their first homes. I am proud of the progress we have made
in Vermont and across the Nation through programs implemented by the
Department of Housing and Urban Deveropment. During his confirmation
hearing, Dr. Carson testified to the crucial role of rental assistance
programs. He pledged to be an advocate for funding for housing
assistance programs. He turned away from his previous call for a 10-
percent across-the-board cut to housing programs. I hope that Dr.
Carson will fulfill these commitments.
I continue to have concerns regarding Dr. Carson's seeming animosity
toward the affirmatively furthering fair housing, AFFH rule, which he
called a ``failed socialist experiment'' in an op-ed in the Washington
Times. While Dr. Carson tried to minimize those comments in his
hearing, I remain concerned that Dr. Carson doesn't understand the AFFH
rule. This rule asks cities and towns receiving Federal dollars to look
at their housing patterns to identify racial bias and to take action to
rectify any bias they find. Dr. Carson has called it social
engineering. I call it social justice and support the examination of
policies to promote equality and eliminate discrimination. During his
confirmation hearing, he pledged to enforce our fair housing laws. I
believe this includes upholding the AFFH.
I am concerned that Dr. Carson lacks the necessary experience to
successfully serve as our Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
He will be confirmed, of that there is no doubt. I hope that Dr. Carson
will work with both sides of the aisle to further the mission of the
Department, strengthen the successful programs that keep families in
their homes, build and support and maintain affordable housing in
Vermont and across the Nation, and help first-time home buyers realize
their homeownership goals.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, Congress created the Department of
Housing and Urban Development in 1965 to create strong, sustainable,
inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all Americans.
During last year's Presidential campaign, however, President Trump
often called into question his commitment to an inclusive America.
Thus, the abilities and commitment of the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development are all the more important.
I voted, along with others in the Banking Committee, to report Dr.
Carson's nomination to the full Senate because I wanted to allow the
nomination to proceed to the floor for consideration and debate. During
that time, I have further examined the nomination. I reviewed the
statements and letters that I have received from organizations and
individuals who are directly impacted by the work of HUD.
Dr. Carson is a gifted neurosurgeon, but nothing in his experience
indicates that he is prepared to run an 8,400-employee government
agency. Armstrong Williams, a business manager and close friend of Dr.
Carson's, told Reuters in November, ``His life has not prepared him to
be a Cabinet secretary.'' Mr. Williams told CNN, ``He's never run an
agency and it's a lot to ask. He's a neophyte and that's not his
strength.'' And Mr. Williams told The Hill newspaper, ``Dr. Carson
feels he has no government experience, he's never run a federal
agency.''
Moreover, Dr. Carson's past statements have questioned the mission of
the agency that he would lead. He has implied that housing assistance
provided by the Department is harmful. He has characterized it as if it
were calculated to create dependency, ignoring the real world needs of
people who rely on this important safety net. Dr. Carson was dismissive
when, during his confirmation hearing, I noted that so many millions of
people who receive housing assistance are seniors or people with
disabilities, and I asked Dr. Carson about his past advocacy of
abolishing Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Carson's testimony in committee
did not show understanding of the importance of these safety net
programs to seniors or people with disabilities.
Dr. Carson has also made several statements that call into question
his view of the role of the Department in ensuring fair housing for
all. Specifically, he has said disparaging things about housing
desegregation efforts. In July of 2015, Dr. Carson wrote in the
Washington Times that the Department of Housing and Urban Development
rule designed to desegregate housing, the ``affirmatively further''
rule, was a ``social experiment'' and he likened it to ``failed
socialist experiments.''
Dr. Carson likened housing desegregation to ``what you see in
communist countries.'' After HUD issued a letter declaring that the
city of Dubuque's implementation of the section 8 housing voucher
program was intentionally discriminatory against Black applicants from
Chicago, Dr. Carson told Iowa radio show host Jan Mickelson, ``This is
what you see in communist countries, where they have so many
regulations encircling every aspect of your life that if you don't
agree with them, all they have to do is pull the noose.''
Dr. Carson has also shown a lax attitude toward holding accountable
those who triggered the housing crisis and financial collapse.
In the February 2016 CBS Republican Presidential debate, Dr. Carson
seemed to question the penalty that the Justice Department and the New
York Attorney General extracted from a big New York bank for
contributing to the mortgage crisis. The Wall Street Journal's Kimberly
Strassel asked Dr. Carson: ``This week Morgan Stanley agreed to pay a
$3.2 billion fine to state and federal authorities for contributing to
the mortgage crisis. You have a lot of Democrats out saying that we
should be jailing more executives, so two questions. Should financial
executives be held legally responsible for financial crisis, and do you
think fines like these are an effective way to deter companies from
future behavior like that?''
Dr. Carson replied: ``Now, the--as far as these fines are concerned,
you know? Here's the big problem. We've got all these government
regulators, and all they're doing is running around looking for people
to fine. And, we've got 645 different federal agencies, and sub-
agencies. Way, way too many, and they don't have anything else to do. I
think what we really need to do is start trimming the regulatory
agencies rather than going after the people who are trying to increase
the viability, economic viability of our society.''
While criticizing the Justice Department for its work to hold Wall
Street accountable, Dr. Carson also advocated for a policy that would
have made housing less affordable. His campaign website called for
``privatizing housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.'' Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac play an important role providing liquidity to the
nation's mortgage finance system. A large number of advocacy groups,
academics, and-industry stakeholders alike agree that some form of
government backstop is necessary to ensure a stable housing market and
to maintain the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
I am also deeply troubled by statements made by Dr. Carson that
indicate intolerance. When, in September
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2015, Chuck Todd of NBC's Meet the Press asked Dr. Carson whether he
thought Islam is consistent with the Constitution, Dr. Carson answered,
``No, I don't, I do not.'' Dr. Carson's remarks revealed a fundamental
misunderstanding about the First Amendment and religious liberty. And
Dr. Carson's remarks about the LGBT community also raise concerns about
tolerance.
Because of all the concerns that I have raised, I will not be able to
support Dr. Carson's nomination for this post. However, should he be
confirmed, I will do everything possible to help make his tenure
successful. Specifically, I was heartened by Dr. Carson's statements
about wanting to address the hazards of lead paint. I was pleased that,
at his confirmation hearing, Dr. Carson agreed that he would urge
President Trump to continue the White House task force that President
Obama created after the Freddie Gray tragedy in Baltimore to help
Baltimore by trying to break down some of the silos among different
Federal agencies. We have a lot of work to do in Baltimore and
throughout Maryland.
Mr. CRAPO. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Strange). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I yield back all time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Carson
nomination?
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator
from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 58, nays 41, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 77 Ex.]
YEAS--58
Alexander
Barrasso
Blunt
Boozman
Brown
Burr
Capito
Cassidy
Cochran
Collins
Corker
Cornyn
Cotton
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Donnelly
Enzi
Ernst
Fischer
Flake
Gardner
Graham
Grassley
Hatch
Heitkamp
Heller
Hoeven
Inhofe
Johnson
Kennedy
King
Lankford
Lee
Manchin
McCain
McConnell
Moran
Murkowski
Paul
Perdue
Portman
Risch
Roberts
Rounds
Rubio
Sasse
Scott
Shelby
Strange
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Toomey
Warner
Wicker
Young
NAYS--41
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Feinstein
Franken
Gillibrand
Harris
Hassan
Heinrich
Hirono
Kaine
Klobuchar
Leahy
Markey
McCaskill
Menendez
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Nelson
Peters
Reed
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Shaheen
Stabenow
Udall
Van Hollen
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NOT VOTING--1
Isakson
The nomination was confirmed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote on the
nomination, and I move to table the motion to reconsider.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion to
table.
The motion was agreed to.
____________________