Ben Carson is now officially confirmed as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, following the Senate vote (58-41) Thursday morning.
The approval locks in one of the few remaining cabinet members left to be approved.
The Senate floor voted the day before on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Carson, passing the vote 62-37. The significant majority vote gave Carson a likely green light to be confirmed on Thursday.
Despite a controversial start to his nomination, it turned out to be all bark and no bite as his hearing went fairly smooth.
The former neurosurgeon passed through the Committee On Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with a unanimous vote of approval on Jan. 24 and is finally making its way to the Senate floor, becoming one of few remaining cabinet picks to be confirmed.
Carson managed to receive support from both sides of the isle, even winning the approval of Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Carson accepted President Donald Trump’s offer to become the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development back in December 2016.
For HousingWire readers, this news wasn’t surprising since we exclusively reported Carson’s intention to accept the nomination a week earlier.
“I am thrilled to nominate Dr. Ben Carson as our next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Trump said at the time. “Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities.”
