Trump-nominated former NFL player clears Senate hurdle, paving way for confirmation

Scott Turner, a former NFL player and Texas state lawmaker, advanced past a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday night, teeing up a final confirmation vote to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) later this week. 

The nomination cleared the procedural vote by a margin of 55-45, with two Democrats joining Republicans.

President Donald Trump announced Turner as his choice to be HUD secretary soon after his November election last year. 

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In Trump’s previous administration, Dr. Ben Carson, a former GOP presidential candidate, led HUD. 

Turner notably played in the NFL for nine seasons after being drafted in 1995. The defensive back spent time playing for the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos. 

After leaving the league, he ran for office in his home state of Texas, where he served for several years. 

In Trump’s announcement, he touted Turner’s work in his last administration as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC). He explained that the nominee “lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.”

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“Those efforts, working together with former HUD Secretary, Ben Carson, were maximized by Scott’s guidance in overseeing 16 Federal Agencies which implemented more than 200 policy actions furthering Economic Development. Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!” he added. 

In Turner’s hearing last month before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, he testified that he wants to fix broken policy areas and ween Americans off of government assistance. 

He explained that it is his goal “to help people get off government assistance, become self-sustainable and achieve the American dream.”