Former Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson today cited his childhood of “housing insecurity” during remarks on Capitol Hill , where he’s facing the U. S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs for a hearing on his nomination to be the next secretary of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Carson, who often spoke on the campaign trail about growing up with an illiterate single mother in Detroit, referenced her in his opening statement.
“She didn’t have any skills, basically a third-grade education and we had no place to live,” he said. “She couldn’t afford the house so we ended up moving to Boston, moving in with relatives. So I have actually in my life understood what housing insecurity was. And we were there in Boston for a couple of years.”
Carson later pledged to undertake a “listening tour” across the country to better understand the issues he would face as HUD secretary.
In a Dec. 5 statement announcing his intention to nominate Carson, 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. “
The president-elect added of Carson, who now sits on Trump’s transition team as a vice chair, “Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a Presidency representing all Americans. “
I am thrilled to nominate Dr. @RealBenCarson as our next Secretary of the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development: https://t.co/zYGi8fGnL5 pic.twitter.com/1D9NXlHc2b
Carson, 65, said in that statement, “I am honored to accept the opportunity to serve our country in the Trump administration. I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly by strengthening communities that are most in need. We have much work to do in enhancing every aspect of our nation and ensuring that our nation’s housing needs are met. “
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Carson will field questions on housing policy and affordable housing and will likely face questions surrounding his lack of government experience and previous claims that he would feel like “a fish out of water” running a government agency.
“Having me as a federal bureaucrat would be like a fish out of water, quite frankly,” Carson told the Washington Post before being offered the position.
Carson has been holding mock hearings and comprehensive information sessions, along with meetings with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to get up to speed on the agency and the issues, according to those familiar with his preparations.
Among those advising Carson are former Florida Senator Mel Martinez and Alphonso Jackson, the agency’s secretary under President George W. Bush.
Martinez told ABC News that Carson was “very much on top of the issues” of housing policy, and argued his lack of government experience and resume heading into the role isn’t a liability, but an asset, calling it “purposeful. “
“I think it’s a common element in a lot of this administration,” he said.
Republican consultant Gianno Caldwell told ABC News there are questions surrounding Carson’s qualifications for the post, but added that Carson has been preparing for weeks.
“They have been prepping for weeks and meeting with members of Congress on the Hill since he got nominated,” Caldwell said. “They are very excited, there are lot of folks that believe he’s going to do a very good job – put together an excellent team, there are questions surrounding his qualifications – but he’s been prepping for weeks. “
