WASHINGTON—Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson defended his experience and credentials to serve as the nation’s new housing secretary Thursday, turning to his life story to show that he understands the needs of the country’s most vulnerable.
President-elect Donald Trump wants Carson, a former rival for the GOP nomination, to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a sprawling agency with 8,300 employees and a budget of about $48 billion.
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, House and Urban Affairs Committee, the famed neurosurgeon talked about growing up in inner-city Detroit with a single mother who had a third-grade education and worked numerous jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
“I have actually in my life understood what housing insecurity was,” he told lawmakers. He credited his mother with showing him the importance of perseverance, hard work and independence.
Democrats in the GOP-run Senate questioned his experience. Carson said one of the things he’s learned in private life is how to select a good CEO. He says a good CEO doesn’t necessary know everything about running a particular business, but he knows how to select people and use their talents.
