Politics & Government
Retired Hopkins Neurosurgeon Ben Carson Confirmed As HUD Secretary
Celebrated Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon and one-time Republican presidential primary candidate was approved by the senate by a vote of 58-41.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate confirmed retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson as secretary of Housing and Urban Development Thursday morning by a vote of 58-41.
Carson, who retired in 2013 after serving as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, will now lead a federal agency with a $47 billion budget.
"What gives me joy is being able to improve the lives of other people," Carson said on Facebook Thursday. "And now I have the opportunity to do that on a very large scale."
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HUD oversees most of the nation's affordable housing programs and also manages $1.6 trillion in mortgage funds. The agency plays a role in education, transportation and community development across the U.S.
Among the Democrats who voted with Republicans in favor of Carson was Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia, who said he thinks Carson will represent the rural areas just as well as urban ones.
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"I applaud Secretary Carson for his willingness to serve our country," Manchin said in a statement. "I believe he understands that the housing and development needs facing West Virginia are different than those facing America's urban communities and I look forward to working with him to improve the lives of West Virginians."
These are the other Democrats who voted for Carson along with all the Republican Senators:
- Mark Warner of Virginia
- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
- Sherrod Brown of Ohio
- Jon Tester of Montana
- Joe Donnelly of Indiana
- Angus King of Maine (an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats)
According to The Baltimore Sun, both Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin opposed the confirmation. Both are Democrats.
Previously a Republican presidential primary candidate, Carson left the race last March and became an early endorser of the man who ultimately became president, describing President Donald Trump as "very cerebral."
Carson, a Detroit native, knows a lot about brains. At Johns Hopkins Hospital, he became the youngest doctor to lead a division, at age 33 heading up pediatric neurosurgery.
He was also the first surgeon to separate twins conjoined by the head and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 for his contributions to the profession.
He holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Michigan.
— By Cody Fenwick, Allen McDuffee, Deb Belt and Elizabeth Janney
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Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Creative Commons.
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