The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs announced that it will hold a confirmation hearing on Thursday, Jan. 16, for Scott Turner to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Turner was one of a flurry of cabinet-level and other leadership nominees announced by President-elect Donald Trump just before the Thanksgiving holiday. He will be part of a committee that is open to the public.
Turner served in the first Trump administration as the former executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), where he helped “lead an unprecedented effort that transformed our country’s most distressed communities,” according to a statement released by Trump’s transition team.
He worked closely with former HUD Secretary Ben Carson by “overseeing more than 200 policy actions furthering economic development,” according to the announcement. Turner has described Carson as a “mentor.”
Last month, Carson endorsed Turner as the “perfect pick” to lead the agency. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a former ranking member of the committee who now serves as its chairman in the new congressional term, also lauded Turner’s appointment shortly after the nomination was made public.
But ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who ascended to a leadership role following the election defeat of former chairman and ranking member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), will have her own opportunity to cross-examine Turner during the hearing alongside other Democratic senators.
Warren expressed her thoughts on his nomination on social media shortly after it was announced. She said she “look[s] forward to learning more about Turner’s views on how to address the housing crisis and will review his record with an objective and open mind ahead of his confirmation hearing.”
A recent ProPublica report examined Turner’s record on aid programs while he was a state legislator in Texas. The report concluded that Turner’s views could indicate a lack of commitment to federal programs to support Americans with housing-related economic challenges.
Turner’s confirmation hearing comes slightly later in 2025 than Carson’s did in 2017. Carson’s confirmation hearing was held on Jan. 12 of that year. He was ultimately confirmed for the role on March 2 and sworn in by then-Vice President Mike Pence on March 3.
