On Thursday, former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., went to bat for former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson’s bid to be the next secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Martinez served as HUD secretary in President George W. Bush’s first term.
Carson was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to lead HUD last month and now has the support of Martinez and former HUD Secretaries Henry Cisneros, Alphonso Jackson and Steven Preston. Cisneros served under President Bill Clinton while Jackson and Preston served under Bush.
The four former HUD secretaries sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Mike Crappo, R-Idaho, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the ranking Democrat on the committee, praising Carson.
“We write today, from both sides of the political aisle, in support of Dr. Ben Carson’s nomination as secretary for Housing and Urban Development, a position we have all held,” they wrote. “Some of us came in with deep housing experience while others had to learn it. We all succeeded thanks to the help of the cadre of dedicated civil servants -- a team of respected, career leaders who have stood alongside each one of us, helping us guide the agency to succeed in its mission.
“The singular, common piece of advice every HUD secretary is given is to listen,” they continued. “It worked to help us overcome the challenges we faced, and we know Dr. Carson will heed it as well as he works to help make HUD’s mission a reality: creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
“As secretary, we know that Dr. Carson will learn about what works, develop new innovations, measure outcomes, and achieve real results to improve communities throughout America,” they wrote in conclusion. “We urge the committee to support Dr. Carson’s confirmation.”
Carson offered thanks to the four former HUD secretaries for their support.
“I am immensely grateful for the support of Secretaries Cisneros, Martinez, Jackson and Preston, and it is a great honor to be mentioned with such accomplished public servants,” said Carson. “If confirmed, I look forward to listening to the concerns of the American people in order to develop new solutions to age-old problems, especially increasing opportunity, and making America's neighborhoods stronger.”
Martinez, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 after serving in Bush's Cabinet but resigned his seat in 2009.
