Senate committee to vote on Trump nominee Eric Scott Turner for HUD

WASHINGTON, JANUARY 16: Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump's nominee for HUD Director, testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on January 16, 2025. (Photo by Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Eric Scott Turner, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is set to appear Thursday morning before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee for his confirmation hearing.

Turner, 52, is a former NFL player who transitioned into politics prior to Trump's first term. He played as a cornerback in the NFL for nine seasons, beginning in 1995, with teams including the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

After failing a congressional bid in California in 2006, Turner served as a Texas state representative from 2012 to 2017. During President Trump’s first term, Turner was appointed as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, where he worked to stimulate economic development in low-income areas.

In his initial confirmation hearing earlier last week, Turner highlighted the housing affordability and homelessness crisis, noting that homelessness in the country rose in 2024.

“HUD, if you will, is failing at its most basic mission,” he said at the hearing.

Senate Democrats will likely zero in on Turner’s reluctance to commit to expanding Section 8 housing vouchers and his support for implementing work requirements for HUD programs.

Ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Turner on corporate landlords and private equity firms buying up single-family homes, accusing him of favoring “big business” over families in last week's hearing. Despite Turner’s past leadership in the Trump administration, Democrats claimed his answers lacked specificity and failed to address the “housing affordability crisis.”

Turner is set to appear before the committee in an executive session at 10:00 a.m. ET to vote on his confirmation. If the committee votes to approve Turner, he will advance to the full Senate for consideration.