(The Epoch Times)—Scott Turner will be the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after the Senate voted to confirm him on Feb. 5.
The 55–44 vote adds one more member to President Donald Trump’s growing Cabinet, less than a week after the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee voted along party lines, 13–11, to advance the former NFL player’s nomination to the Senate floor.
Turner was nominated for the role by Trump just days after the 2024 election. During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 16, Turner said his primary goal at HUD would be to ease “regulatory burdens” for housing development while maximizing the potential of the agency’s $72.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025.
As a developer himself, Turner described the impact on construction costs from “permitting fees, inspection fees, [and] zoning difficulties on a local level.” He cited data that shows regulations account for, on average, 40.6 percent of the total development costs of multifamily homes and roughly 23.8 percent of the development costs of single-family homes.
He also discussed the United States hitting an all-time record high of homelessness in 2024.
“That’s a national embarrassment and something that cannot continue,” Turner said. “We have a housing crisis in our country, where American people and families are struggling every day.
“HUD is failing at its most basic mission.”
When Turner’s nomination went in front of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on Jan. 23 for a confirmation vote, several Democrats on the committee, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) signed a letter stating their refusal to advance him before his FBI background check had been completed.
“If confirmed, Mr. Turner will serve as a member of President Trump’s cabinet and be in the line of presidential succession. The Committee’s customary practice—followed by both Republican and Democratic chairs—is to hold a vote on a nomination only after the FBI completes its background investigation,” the Democrats wrote.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), chairman of the committee, said Turner has the necessary skill set for HUD in a Jan. 23. video posted to social media platform X.
“HUD’s mission is to create strong and sustainable communities and support quality, affordable homes, serving the most vulnerable in our nation,” Scott said. “Scott Turner’s story and perspective are tools that he brings to the table.”
Turner, 52, was born and raised in Texas. He started his football career at the University of Illinois before the Washington Redskins drafted him in 1995, leading to nine years in the NFL. From 2012 to 2017, he served in the Texas House of Representatives.
The former athlete is also the founder and CEO of the Community Engagement and Opportunity Council. During the first Trump administration, he served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
Samantha Flom contributed to this report.
Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
