Ben Carson’s stint as secretary of Housing and Urban Development has been marred by questionable conduct, his piss poor work ethic and an unprecedented degree of incompetence, but Congresswoman Maxine Waters is about to make things a lot worse for him.
After unveiling his dastardly plans to evict undocumented immigrants and reduce rental assistance, Auntie Max tore Ben and his “gifted hands” a new asshole.
From Politico:
House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) ripped into Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Tuesday in his first appearance before the committee since she took the gavel in January.
Ticking off concerns with an “outrageous plan” to reduce rental assistance, delays in providing disaster aid to Puerto Rico and a “cruel proposal” to bar undocumented immigrants from subsidized housing, Waters told Carson, “the department is actively causing harm.”
Last April, Carson announced a rent proposal that would cause some aid recipients rates to skyrocket from $50 to $150.
“The rent proposal is to start a discussion […] because we have so many perverse incentives, including discouraging these families from earning more income and becoming self-sufficient,” he told Waters. “We have to come up with better, more efficient ways so we don’t leave people in a situation where they become dependent.”
But this isn’t the first time that Carson has drawn the congresswoman’s ire. In acting as the House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman, Waters had to set him straight earlier this month too.
From the Washington Examiner:
House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters demanded that the Trump administration withdraw a proposal to tighten regulations aimed at limiting public housing benefits to immigrants living in the country illegally.
Waters and more than 20 committee Democrats criticized Saturday the “senseless” proposal from the Department of Housing and Urban Development after the agency acknowledged the policy could displace more than 55,000 children from public housing who are legal U.S. residents or citizens.
But don’t worry. Carson had an explanation for HUD’s questionable methods... or so he thought.
“Congress has the responsibility for making the laws that govern us,” he said. “If in fact you want to explain to the American citizens on the waitlist […] why we should continue to support families who are not here legally, I’d be happy to help you explain that.”
Sadly, New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez wasn’t here for it.
“Why, if you recognize that there is a housing crisis in our nation, that there are 4.4 million people on a waiting list […] why did you request $9.6 billion less for HUD’s budget for fiscal year 2020?” Velazquez asked. “Do you understand why this sounds like you’re talking from both sides of your mouth?”
If this sounds like a guy who’s checked out and has no idea what the hell he’s doing, it’s probably because he already announced his exit strategy in March when he unofficially turned in his two week notice about a year and a half early.
“I will certainly finish out this term,” Carson told Newsmax, before adding, “I would be interested in returning to the private sector because I think you have just as much influence, maybe more, there.”