Business meeting to consider the nominations of Benjamin Hobbs, of Ohio, and Ronald Kurtz, of Georgia, both to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Chris Pilkerton, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, and Jonathan Burke, of Georgia, to be Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, both of the Department of the Treasury.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

2025-09-30

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The committee convened to consider and vote on several presidential nominees for positions within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Treasury Department. [ 00:19:41-00:19:43 ]

Opposition to Administration Policies and Nominees

Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member, voiced strong opposition to the nominees, framing their appointments within the context of the Trump administration's "misguided economic agenda" and its perceived negative impact on American families. [ 00:24:10-00:24:17 ] [ 00:26:28-00:26:31 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
 She criticized the potential government shutdown, proposed healthcare cuts, and a $20 billion bailout to Argentina that she claimed undermined American farmers. [ 00:23:42-00:24:04 ] Specific concerns were raised about Mr. Kurtz's potential to not protect housing programs and Mr. Hobbs's alleged undermining of HUD's mission. [ 00:24:28-00:24:58 ] Additionally, she expressed apprehension regarding Mr. Pilkerton's ability to ensure national security in foreign transactions and Mr. Burke's stance on Russia and anti-money laundering efforts. [ 00:25:31-00:26:25 ] Warren concluded that advancing these nominees was irresponsible and stated her intention to vote against all four. [ 00:26:32-00:26:33 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in

Support for Nominees and Administration Goals

Kevin Cramer, the chairman, advocated for the nominees, asserting that their leadership would bolster American prosperity through secure communities, strong financial markets, and safe housing. He emphasized the fundamental role of affordable homes in fostering stability and wealth creation for families. Mr. Hobbs was praised for his consistent ability to deliver results and convert federal resources into tangible opportunities. Mr. Kurtz was highlighted for his practical experience in addressing housing supply and affordability challenges. Cramer also expressed confidence in Mr. Pilkerton's capacity to protect strategic industries from adversarial investments and Mr. Burke's expertise in combating financial crime to maintain the strength of financial systems. He concluded by stressing that these nominees embody President Trump's dedication to accountability, opportunity, and security, and urged his colleagues to support their advancement.

Voting on Nominees

The committee proceeded to vote on each of the four nominees individually. Mr. Ben Hobbs, Mr. Ronnie Kurtz, and Mr. Christopher Pilkerton were each reported favorably to the full Senate with a vote of 13 in favor and 11 opposed. Mr. Jonathan Burke's nomination was also reported favorably with a vote of 15 in favor and 9 opposed. The "Aye" votes were predominantly cast by Republican members, while the "No" votes primarily came from Democratic members, many cast by proxy.

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting adopted a formal and procedural tone, marked by a significant partisan division. [ 00:19:41 ] Chairman Cramer maintained a supportive and business-like demeanor, emphasizing the qualifications and importance of the nominees. In contrast, Senator Warren introduced a highly critical and contentious element, strongly disapproving of the nominees and broadly condemning the administration's policies as detrimental to American interests. [ 00:23:42-00:26:33 ] The subsequent voting process was conducted in a brisk and formal manner.

Participants

Transcript

We'll go ahead and get started.  We'll give the ranking member an opportunity to have her opening statement, and then I'll move to mine.
All right.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.   So this evening, President Trump and congressional Republicans are barreling toward a shutdown because they would rather shut down the government than roll back the cuts that will kick 15 million people off their health care and raise insurance premiums for tens of millions more.  I think that's shameful.   And as we head into a potential shutdown, President Trump is pushing forward with a $20 billion bailout to Argentina.  That's $20 billion for Argentina right after Argentina struck a deal with China that knocked the legs out from under American farmers who are already struggling with Trump's sweeping tariffs.  How does that make any sense at all?   Trump's misguided economic agenda is inflicting real pain on American families, and it is about to get worse, a whole lot worse.  But we sit here today ready to rush through another batch of Trump's nominees as if it's business as usual.  Mr. Kurtz, nominated to lead community and development planning at HUD, has refused to protect programs   that are critical to increasing housing supply and lowering housing costs.  In other words, he's signing on to the administration's agenda to keep housing unaffordable just as Trump's tariffs drive up construction costs and his newly announced tariffs on kitchen cabinets threaten to push prices for homes even higher.   Mr. Hobbs, nominated to lead public and Indian housing at HUD, is already undermining the agency's mission in his current role as Deputy Assistant Secretary, actively implementing punitive and costly measures that weaken the ways HUD could help in a housing crisis.
Mr. Pilkerton, nominated to lead investment security at Treasury,   would be responsible for ensuring that transactions involving foreign companies do not jeopardize our national security.  That's a very important job.  But this administration treats our economic and national security like trinkets at a fire sale, ready for whichever billionaire drops by, and Mr. Pilkerton has shown no willingness to reverse course on that.   And finally, Mr. Burke, nominated to lead terrorist financing and financial crimes at Treasury.  He would be responsible for closing anti-money laundering vulnerabilities and coordinating sanctions with foreign partners.  But the administration is rolling back efforts to counter illicit finance and has imposed an eight-month pause   on even basic Russian sanctions.  Mr. Burke couldn't even acknowledge that Russia started the war against Ukraine.  How can he be counted on to coordinate our sanctions against Russia?   President Trump promised to lower costs on day one.  Instead, step by step, he is selling out our national security and our economic security.  He's driving up costs for families while destroying America's credibility abroad.   At a time when Americans are struggling to afford essentials and with the administration stripping away affordable health care and raising premiums for tens of millions of Americans, it is irresponsible for Congress to advance these nominees.  I will be voting no on all four of them.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Yes, ma'am.  Thank you.  We'll call the committee to order and move to executive session.  Today, the committee considers several of President Trump's nominees whose leadership will help strengthen the foundations of American prosperity, safe housing, strong financial markets, and secure communities.  For families, a safe and affordable home is more than a roof over their head.  It's the starting point for stability, upward mobility, and long-term wealth creation.  For communities...   It is the anchor that supports small businesses, schools, and local economies.  That is why moving these nominees to the Senate floor is so, so important.   Mr. Ben Hobbs, nominated to serve as HUD's Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing and a former staffer of mine, has shown a consistent ability to deliver results.  He understands how to turn federal resources into real opportunities for families and neighborhoods, particularly those often left behind.  Mr. Ronnie Kurtz, nominated to serve as HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, brings practical experience at the local level   where zoning, building codes, and development decisions directly shape the supply and affordability of housing.  I look forward to working alongside these two to implement the Road to Housing Act once it's signed into law.  We are also considering the two nominees at the Treasury Department whose work will be essential to safeguarding America's financial institutions from illicit actors.  Mr. Christopher Peerkelton.   nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for CFIUS, will lead efforts to keep America's strategic industry safe from investments by adversaries who seek to exploit our open investment environment for their own malign ends.  Mr. Jonathan Burke, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, brings deep experience in combating financial crime.
His leadership will be vital into ensuring our financial systems remain a source of strength for Americans, not a tool for those who wish to do us harm.

Sign up for free to see the full transcript

Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.

Sign up