HUD nominee pledges action to prevent home loss in pandemic

WASHINGTON — Housing secretary nominee Marcia Fudge told senators Thursday that she would take “extraordinary actions” to prevent people from losing their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., said several of Fudge’s public statements “raise questions about your willingness and ability to work with Republicans.” In particular, Toomey referenced a statement Fudge made last year when GOP senators rushed to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg before the presidential election. Fudge at the time called Senate Republicans “a disgrace to this nation” and said they ”have no decency, they have no honor, they have no integrity.” Fudge did not walk back any of her previous statements but described herself as “one of the most bipartisan members in the House of Representatives.” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., challenged Fudge, a former leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, on repeated statements she made that Republicans don’t care about Black Americans or people of color. After repeated mentions of Fudge’s criticisms of Republicans, Brown said, “It’s pretty tough to take a political speech from members of a party whose leader just three weeks ago literally incited a violent insurrection with his words.”