McCollum urged the Senate to reject the nomination
Washington, D.C. – Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was confirmed Thursday to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Carson joins President Trump’s cabinet as housing secretary with a 58-41 vote. Six democrats and one independent joined Republicans to confirm the nominee.
This comes despite efforts from some Democrats to derail the confirmation.
“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) wrote in a Facebook post, “but it does take someone with a basic understanding of how to help all Americans afford safe and decent housing.”
Carson was born into poverty and raised by a single mother in urban Detroit. Through hard work and perseverance, Carson ended up attending Yale University and University of Michigan Medical School, and eventually became the first African American head of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Despite Carson’s impressive story of overcoming poverty to become one of the most renowned brain surgeons, McCollum called Carson unqualified and urged Senate Democrats to reject Carson’s nomination.
“Dr. Carson is not qualified to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I urge the Senate to reject this nomination,” she wrote.
Other Democrats did not feel as strongly as McCollum. Carson’s nomination cleared the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee back in January with a unanimous vote.
The confirmation of Carson for HUD leaves three seats left to be approved in Trump’s cabinet. Secretary of Agriculture nominee Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Energy nominee Rick Perry, and Secretary of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder are still awaiting Senate confirmation votes.
