Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge announced on March 11 that she is stepping down toward the end of the month.
“It’s time to go home,’’ Ms. Fudge told USA Today.
“I do believe strongly that I have done just about everything I could do at HUD for this administration as we go into this crazy, silly season of an election,” she said.
Ms. Fudge, 71, served as HUD secretary since the beginning of President Joe Biden’s administration. She was previously the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and then represented Ohio’s 11th Congressional District.“From her time as a mayor, to her years as a fierce advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives, Marcia’s vision, passion, and focus on increasing economic opportunity have been assets to our country,” President Biden said in a statement. “I’m grateful for all of her contributions toward a housing system that works for all Americans, and I wish her well in her next chapter.”
Before becoming HUD secretary, Ms. Fudge served in Congress from November 2008 to March 2021.
The Congressional Black Caucus, of which she was chairman between 2013 and 2015, lauded her service.
“Under her leadership, the agency has supported nearly a quarter of a million black people in purchasing a home and has taken significant steps to root out racial bias in the home appraisal process.”
However, Ms. Fudge’s tenure was not without controversy.
“I mean, I think we’re going to put a good person in that race, no matter who we choose,” she said during a White House press briefing, referring to Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
Both ultimately decided not to run for the safe Democrat seat, which was won by Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio).
“But they’re both friends. I think we have a good shot at it,“ Ms. Fudge said. ”I know people have written off Ohio. I haven’t written off Ohio. I believe we can win the Senate race.”
The last time Ms. Fudge testified before the committee was July 20, 2021.
To open the hearing, Mr. McHenry said it wasn’t the GOP-led committee’s fault that she hadn’t appeared before it.
“Your office routinely avoided responding to numerous requests to appear in the last calendar year, but glad you’re here at the beginning of this calendar year,” he said.
By not showing up, Ms. Fudge was refusing to comply with the committee’s duty to conduct oversight of HUD, which Ms. Fudge has led since March 10, 2021.
Mr. McHenry also said her absenteeism “sends the wrong message to the American people that are struggling—struggling with high housing prices, lack of availability to the American taxpayers generally and to the members of this committee, all of whom recognize the fragility of our housing market.”
Concluding her opening statement, Ms. Fudge fired back at Mr. McHenry.
“It was not my schedule that did not allow us to meet,” she said. “The House schedule changed.”
Despite not appearing before the committee, Ms. Fudge has testified before Congress numerous times.
The last time she was on Capitol Hill was in May 2023, testifying before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development.
In addition to lambasting her for not showing up to the committee for almost three years, Mr. McHenry lamented the state of housing since the Biden administration took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
“Mortgage rates have increased 150 percent since their all-time low in January 2021, rents have risen by more than 15 percent nationally since 2021, and homelessness increased by 12 percent over last year,” he said.
Finally, Mr. McHenry denounced what he said was the state of housing for disabled veterans.
“HUD’s disparate treatment of disabled veterans seeking housing assistance is exacerbating the veterans’ homelessness crisis,“ he said.
“Under your leadership, the agency has repeatedly failed to do right by these American heroes.”
For example, according to Mr. McHenry, HUD has multiple definitions of what income is.
“This means under some definitions they might qualify and under others they might not,” he said.
“These conflicting rules understandably confuse applicants and grantees alike, leaving some disabled veterans without access to the support they qualify for.”
Mr. McHenry ridiculed Ms. Fudge over her handling of the matter.
“Your lack of attention to such a serious problem facing our nation’s veterans is unacceptable,“ he said. “Denying support to disabled veterans in any capacity is abhorrent. HUD has a legal and moral obligation to do better.”
Ms. Fudge placed the blame for disabled veterans’ not getting housing on the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Treasury Department.
She is the second Biden Cabinet secretary to step down following Marty Walsh’s departure last year as secretary of labor.
