Political Quotes

“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.…”