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U.S. NEWS Friday 3 March 2017
Senate confirms Carson, Perry for housing, energy posts

JENNIFER C. KERR added, “We don’t want
MATTHEW DALY it to be way of life. ... We
Associated Press want it to be a Band-Aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — and a springboard to
Two of President Donald move forward.”
Trump’s former rivals for the He also said he’d like to
GOP White House nomina- see more partnerships with
tion won Senate confirma- the private sector and reli-
tion Thursday to join his ad- gious groups.
ministration. The soft-spoken Carson,
Retired neurosurgeon Ben the only black major-par-
Carson was confirmed as ty candidate in the White
secretary of the Depart- House race, grew up poor.
ment of Housing and Urban He went on to attend Yale
Development on a vote of University and the Univer-
58-41. A few hours later, sity of Michigan Medical
the Senate backed former School before becoming
Texas Gov. Rick Perry to be the first African-American
energy secretary, 62-37. named as the head of
Carson and Perry are the pediatric neurosurgery at
17th and 18th of Trump’s 22 Johns Hopkins Children’s
Cabinet and Cabinet-level Center in Baltimore.In 1987,
nominations to win Senate Energy Secretary Rick Perry, left, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Ben Carson became famous
approval. Carson applaud on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, before President Donald for pioneering surgery to
Carson has never held Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. separate twins joined at
public office and has no (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) the back of the head.q
housing policy experience. HUD.Trump lauded Carson
Republicans have praised last week, calling him a “to-
the life story of a man who tally brilliant neurosurgeon”
grew up in inner-city De- who has saved many lives.
troit with a single mother “Ben is going to work with
who had a third-grade ed- me very, very closely. And
ucation. HUD has a meaning far be-
Perry, who once pledged yond housing. If properly
to eliminate the depart- done, it’s a meaning that’s
ment, has repeatedly as big as anything there is,
promised to be an advo- and Ben will be able to find
cate for the agency and that true meaning and the
to protect the nation’s true meaning of HUD as its
nuclear stockpile. Perry Secretary,” Trump said.
also pledged to rely on At his confirmation hear-
federal scientists, including ing, Carson told lawmakers
those who work on climate that he envisioned forging
change. a more “holistic approach”
Perry, who served 14 years to helping people and de-
as Texas governor, has veloping “the whole per-
said he will seek to devel- son.” He didn’t offer many
op American energy in all details.
forms, from oil, gas and nu- Perry, 66, told a Senate
clear power to renewable committee that he regrets
sources such as wind and his infamous statement
solar power. about abolishing the de-
Democrats say they ac- partment and insisted it
cept Perry’s disavowal of performs critical functions,
his 2011 pledge to abolish particularly in protecting
the department, but they and modernizing the na-
worry he may not stand up tion’s nuclear stockpile.
to GOP proposals to slash During Perry’s tenure as
the department’s budget. governor, Texas main-
Carson, 65, will lead an tained its traditional role
agency with some 8,300 as a top driller for oil and
employees and a budget natural gas, while also
of about $47 billion. The emerging as the leading
department provides bil- producer of wind power in
lions of dollars in housing the United States and a top
assistance to low-income provider of solar power.
people through vouchers Under questioning from
and public housing. It also Democrats, Carson said
enforces fair housing laws HUD’s rental assistance is
and offers mortgage insur- “essential” to millions of
ance to poorer Americans Americans and that the
through the Federal Hous- department has a lot of
ing Administration, part of good programs. But he