An associate pastor with a Texas megachurch has been confirmed as the new secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Scott Turner, associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church of Plano, was confirmed as the new HUD secretary in a Senate vote of 55-44 on Wednesday, being sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
The confirmation vote was largely along party lines, with Democrat Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joining all Republicans to support Turner.
In a statement, Turner said he was "honored and humbled to serve the American people and the Trump Administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development."
"On President Trump's first day in office, he signed an executive order to lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply. As Secretary, I will lead the department in furthering these priorities," Turner stated.
"The path ahead of us presents an opportunity to restore HUD to its core mission of supporting strong and sustainable communities and quality, affordable homes — serving our nation's most vulnerable."
Prestonwood Senior Pastor Jack Graham called Turner a "son in the ministry" and is elated to see him sworn into office.
"Thank you President Trump for appointing this incredible servant of God," Graham wrote in a post on social media.
Dr. Ben Carson, who served as HUD secretary under the first Trump administration, took to his X account to give his congratulations to Turner on being confirmed.
"Scott is a true man of God, who has been blessed with the unique ability to lead. He will undoubtedly inspire hope into the hearts of those he serves and those he serves with," he tweeted. "God bless, Mr. Secretary. I will always have your back!"
Nominated in November, Truner previously served in the first Trump administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
The president touted Turner's work as "helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country's most distressed communities."
"Those efforts, working together with former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, were maximized by Scott's guidance in overseeing 16 Federal Agencies which implemented more than 200 policy actions furthering Economic Development," Trump said. "Under Scott's leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!"
In his first statement as secretary, Turner said he believes the government "must reduce burdensome regulations to make homeownership easier while unleashing prosperity that has been stifled in communities across the country for far too long.”
“God blessed us with this great nation, and together, we can increase self-sufficiency and empower Americans to climb the economic ladder toward a brighter future,” he concluded.
