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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - December 5, 2016
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This is the December 5, 2016, edition of a daily email sent from November 2016 to September 2017 that covered Donald Trump's presidential transition team, potential cabinet appointees, and the different policy positions of those individuals who may have had an effect on the new administration. Previous editions of "You're Hired" can be found here.
Nominee announcement
As of December 5, 2016, Trump had announced eight out of 15 cabinet nominations.
Ben Carson
President-elect Trump announced that he had chosen former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson as his nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Carson’s professional experience includes working as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and running his own philanthropic organization. Carson endorsed Trump after suspending his own bid for the Republican nomination in March 2016.
HUD has a $48 billion budget and more than 8,000 employees. Here are some of the programs and initiatives that the agency oversees:
- Federal Housing Administration, which insures home loans for first-time and low income buyers who may not meet the down payment requirements of traditional lenders.
- The Community Development Block Grant program, which provides funds to states for small business and community development that aims to eliminate blight and create jobs in low- to moderate-income areas.
- The Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 housing), which provides a subsidy to cover the gap between what tenants can pay and the listed rental price of housing for low-income families.
- Enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws in relation to housing.
- Administration of funds to state and local governments to provide for those who are homeless.
Before Thanksgiving, Trump indicated that he was considering Carson for the position, and Carson acknowledged that he had been offered the job. In an interview with Fox News on November 22, Carson said, “You know, our inner cities are in terrible shape, and they definitely need some real attention. … there have been so many promises made over the last several decades, and nothing has been done, so it certainly is something that has been a long-term interest of mine, and I’ll be thinking and praying about it seriously over the holiday.”
Ballotpedia has been following this story since Trump said he was “strongly considering” Carson for HUD secretary. We asked what Carson’s approach to housing policy might look like if he was nominated and confirmed.
| “ | Carson has spoken critically of HUD policies under the Obama administration. In July 2015, he criticized a HUD rule that provided guidelines for communities to use to ensure their compliance with the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Carson, in an op-ed for The Washington Times, referred to this rule as an example of 'government-engineered attempts to legislate racial equality,' which he said, 'create consequences that often make matters worse.' Carson added, 'There are reasonable ways to use housing policy to enhance the opportunities available to lower-income citizens, but ... entrusting the government to get it right can prove downright dangerous.'[1] | ” |
| —You’re Hired, November 22 | ||
Reactions from Congressional leadership
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: “We appreciate Dr. Carson’s willingness to take on such a challenging task at an agency that is in need of reform to better serve all Americans. I’m confident his life-long career of selfless service will be a positive addition to the incoming administration.”
- House Speaker Paul Ryan (in a tweet): “.@RealBenCarson is a great choice for @HUDgov. A shining example of overcoming poverty, he will put focus on dignity rather than dependence.”
- Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi: “Dr. Ben Carson is a disconcerting and disturbingly unqualified choice to lead a department as complex and consequential as Housing and Urban Development. Our country deserves a HUD Secretary with the relevant experience to protect the rights of homeowners and renters, particularly in low income and minority communities, and to ensure that everyone in our country can have access to safe and affordable housing without facing discrimination or homelessness.”
Dakota Access Pipeline
On December 4, 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. The proposed crossing has been the site of protests since the spring, and the Army Corps of Engineers had originally approved the plans in July 2016. While supporters of the project claim it is a safe method for moving crude oil that promotes U.S. energy independence, opponents claim the pipeline presents a danger to clean drinking water in the area.
Here is where the incoming Trump administration and members of North Dakota's congressional delegation stand on the pipeline and energy infrastructure:
- Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said he spoke with the Trump transition team about the pipeline’s completion: “Today, Mr. Trump expressed his support for the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has met or exceeded all environmental standards set forth by four states and the Army Corps of Engineers.”
- Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), who met with Trump on December 2, 2016, for a potential spot as Secretary of Energy, said to CNBC, “When you look at it, we know one thing for sure: When the administration changes, the easement is going to be approved. … I understand the frustration of the protesters, I just think that this fight is not winnable.”
- U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who helped to craft Trump’s energy plan during the campaign, said in a statement: “I hoped even a lawless president wouldn’t continue to ignore the rule of law. … I’m encouraged we will restore law and order next month when we get a President who will not thumb his nose at the rule of law.”
- Trump spokesman Jason Miller, in a statement: “We will review the full situation when we're in the White House and make the appropriate determination at that time.”
- Trump, on September 22, 2016, spoke of his energy plans and of regulations on the energy sector: “Billions of dollars in private infrastructure investment have been lost to the Obama-Clinton restriction agenda. … We will streamline the permitting process for all energy infrastructure projects, including the billions of dollars in projects held up by President Obama.”
Read more of Donald Trump’s comments on energy and environmental policy.
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
