Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson plans to hit the ground running with a nationwide listening tour to learn more about the agency he will lead and the FHA programs he will oversee. This week, Carson, a neurosurgeon, was sworn in as the 17th secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development after the U.S. Senate voted 58 to 41 to confirm his nomination. A handful of Democrats, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, OH, ranking minority member on the Senate Banking Committee, joined Republicans in support of Carson in spite of his inexperience in housing policy and in running a federal agency. In a statement following Carson’s committee confirmation Jan. 24, Brown said he would have not picked the nominee to lead HUD because of his lack of experience and controversial public statements. Brown said he decided to give Carson a ...