The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs confirmed Marcia Fudge as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in a bipartisan vote, sending her nomination to the full Senate.
The vote passed 17 to seven with all 12 of the committee’s Democrats and five Republicans voting to advance Fudge’s nomination. During the session, the committee also voted unanimously in approval of Cecilia Rouse as the head of the Council of Economic Advisors.
“These historic nominees are ready to defeat the coronavirus, to prevent a tidal wave of evictions and turn around our economy,” committee Chairman Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio said. “I will work hand in hand with Secretary Fudge and Dr. Rouse to build a just economy and housing system that truly works for all.”
During her nomination hearing previously, Fudge vowed to end discrimination in housing should her nomination be approved by the U.S. Senate. She said part of her priorities for HUD, “will require us to end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure that our fair housing rules are doing what they are supposed to do: opening the door for families, especially families of color who have been systematically kept out in the cold across generations, to buy homes and punch their ticket to the middle class.”
Days after taking office, President Joe Biden signed several new executive orders that address racial equity, including a memorandum that directs HUD to both mitigate racial bias in housing and advance fair housing laws.
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If confirmed, Fudge would be the first Black woman to serve as HUD secretary in more than 40 years. Fudge’s previous work with the housing industry includes introducing legislation to help states and cities enact a speedier, more efficient process for abolishing vacant and abandoned properties.
Fudge did, however, receive pushback from Republican Senators for some of her previous comments where she said, “Republicans don’t care about people of color, even a little bit. But if they do, I am willing to listen.”
