Washington, Mar 2 (efe_epa).- Retired neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson was confirmed Thursday by the Senate as secretary of housing and urban development in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
On a 58-42 vote, the Senate approved the nomination after the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously gave the green light to Carson, one of the least controversial Trump nominees in the confirmation process.
The 65-year-old Carson was initially considered a strong rival of Trump’s in the Republican Party primaries, but his bid for the GOP presidential nomination collapsed after the Iowa caucuses.
Trump ripped Carson during the campaign, calling him a “low-energy person” and a “pathological liar,” a reference to questions raised about some claims made by the physician in his autobiography.
When his chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination faded, Carson became one of Trump’s staunchest defenders.
The two men, both new to politics, apparently agree on numerous policies, including tax cuts and the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as ObamaCare.
During the debates, while other Republican contenders engaged in heated arguments and made personal attacks, Carson would kept calm, an approach that ended up diluting the enthusiasm of his erstwhile supporters.
Carson, who has no experience in housing or urban affairs, is the first African-American member of Trump’s Cabinet.