Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, issued a statement following Dr. Ben Carson’s confirmation hearing to serve as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

“Yesterday's confirmation hearing continues the common thread that ties together the incoming Trump Administration: a fundamental lack of experience, as well as a total misunderstanding of the agencies that they have been nominated to lead and the people those agencies are intended to serve.

“Dr. Carson provided several examples of misguided or simply inaccurate views throughout yesterday’s hearing. Perhaps most disturbing was his unrelenting narrative that poverty is a result of an individual’s own choices as opposed to one’s environment and other influences - a superficial stance that ignores critical causes of poverty such as depressed local economies, discrimination in the labor market, and other structural factors that have serious implications.

“Dr. Carson also inaccurately indicated that rental housing was an entitlement, when in actuality, only one in four households who are eligible for housing assistance actually receive it. Additionally, he responded to questions on how to reduce the number of households in need of housing assistance by naming solutions that are largely outside the scope of HUD, including tax reform, economic growth, and regulatory reform.

“Sadly, the hearing yesterday epitomized the lack of qualified candidates running rampant throughout the Trump Administration. Dr. Carson’s testimony did not convince me that he will protect the vulnerable populations served by HUD nor the Americans who rely on HUD to protect their right to fair housing.

“I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to critically examine Dr. Carson’s unrealistic proposals and reject his nomination.”

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