Nomination of Brian D. Montgomery (Cong. Rec., May 11, 2020)
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate page S2338, May 11, 2020. The page opens with remarks about the Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act, which would require the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to take actions to prevent human rights abuses in the name of coronavirus response. Mr. Crapo urges senators to confirm Brian Montgomery as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A cloture motion on the nomination of Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, is read, and Rollcall Vote No. 85 results in yeas 60 and nays 29.
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“Nomination of Brian D. Montgomery (Cong. Rec., May 11, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-05-11-crec-2020-05-11-pt1-pgs2338-68ed2bdc44/
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S2338 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 11, 2020
abuses. I thank Senator MARKEY for and out and has been intimately in- Risch, Steve Daines, David Perdue,
the great work he does on human volved in carrying out HUD’s mission Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Cotton,
rights and also the work he and I did to create strong, sustainable, inclusive Cory Gardner, Marsha Blackburn, John
Cornyn, Kevin Cramer, Tim Scott,
on the House on online privacy. communities and quality affordable
Thom Tillis, Roger F. Wicker, Mike
The Protecting Human Rights Dur- housing opportunities for millions of Crapo.
ing Pandemic Act would require the Americans.
State Department and the U.S. Agency He has been described by the Na- The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan-
for International Development—or tional Multifamily Housing Council as imous consent, the mandatory quorum
USAID—to take actions to prevent ‘‘a housing policy veteran with deep ex- call has been waived.
human rights abuses in the name of pertise and experience across a wide The question is, Is it the sense of the
coronavirus response. The bill author- variety of policy areas.’’ The National Senate that debate on the nomination
izes funding through 2025 for programs Association of Homebuilders has noted of Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, to
that support human rights defense dur- that ‘‘throughout his government and be Deputy Secretary of Housing and
ing and in the aftermath of harmful re- private sector career, Brian has proven Urban Development, shall be brought
sponses to the pandemic. Congress himself to be both an expert in afford- to a close?
would receive strategic plans from the able housing policy, as well as an out- The yeas and nays are mandatory
State Department and USAID detailing standing Federal agency administrator under the rule.
how those funds are being put to use, and communicator.’’
as well as regular reports on human This confirmation vote comes at a The clerk will call the roll.
rights violations perpetrated in the critical time. In the wake of COVID–19, The legislative clerk called the roll.
name of pandemic response. we have already seen a huge number of Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
The spread of COVID–19 has forced mortgage borrowers enter forbearance, are necessarily absent: the Senator
businesses, families, and governments while many landlords are struggling to from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the
to take extraordinary measures to pro- make ends meet, and countless renters Senator from Florida (Mr. RUBIO), the
tect human life. Some have proven ef- are unsure where their next rent pay- Senator from Nebraska (Mr. SASSE),
fective; unfortunately, others are miss- ment will come from. Homeless shel- and the Senator from Pennsylvania
ing the mark. We still have much to do ters are at or near capacity and facing (Mr. TOOMEY).
in terms of pandemic response, and we novel issues related to social
continue to work on it every day. But Further, if present and voting, the
distancing, and the homeless commu- Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX-
I encourage my colleagues not to let nity, who may be particularly exposed ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea’’ and the
the severity of our situation distract to the risk of contracting COVID–19, is
from our responsibility to set an exam- Senator from Florida (Mr. RUBIO)
leaning on HUD for help. would have voted ‘‘yea.’’
ple for the rest of the world. HUD has a central role to play in ad-
I yield the floor. dressing these challenges and more. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The CARES Act acknowledges this im- Senator from Maryland (Mr. CARDIN),
ator from Idaho is recognized. portant role, entrusting HUD with over the Senator from Vermont (Mr.
NOMINATION OF BRIAN D. MONTGOMERY $12 billion in additional funding to pro- LEAHY), the Senator from Massachu-
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise vide immediate relief and to address setts (Mr. MARKEY), the Senator from
today to urge my colleagues to confirm emerging issues. Bold leadership is es- Oregon (Mr. MERKLEY), the Senator
Brian Montgomery as the next Deputy pecially needed during this critical from Washington (Mrs. MURRAY), the
Secretary of the U.S. Department of time for HUD, and Mr. Montgomery is Senator from Vermont (Mr. SANDERS),
Housing and Urban Development. Mr. a trusted voice who fits the mold per- and the Senator from Rhode Island
Montgomery is among the most re- fectly. (Mr. WHITEHOUSE) are necessarily ab-
spected voices in the housing market, Fifteen years ago, this body con- sent.
as well as one of the most experienced. firmed Mr. Montgomery on a voice vote The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there
His breadth of experience includes to serve as FHA Commissioner. Two any other Senators in the Chamber de-
service as the head of the Federal years ago, we confirmed him as FHA siring to vote?
Housing Administration—or FHA—dur- Commissioner, again, on a strong bi- The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 60,
ing the Bush administration, the partisan vote of 74–23. nays 29, as follows:
Obama administration, and the Trump I support Brian Montgomery, and I
administration. [Rollcall Vote No. 85 Ex.]
urge my colleagues to join me today in
Mr. Montgomery guided FHA voting ‘‘yes’’ on his nomination. YEAS—60
through the 2008 financial crisis and Thank you. Barrasso Fischer Murkowski
has provided steadfast leadership at I suggest the absence of a quorum. Bennet Gardner Murphy
the FHA through the ongoing COVID– The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Blackburn Graham Paul
19 pandemic, arguably the two most Blunt Grassley Perdue
clerk will call the roll. Boozman Hawley Portman
turbulent times for the housing market The legislative clerk proceeded to Braun Hoeven Risch
in a generation. call the roll. Burr Hyde-Smith Roberts
Prior to the COVID–19 outbreak, he Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask
Capito Inhofe Romney
oversaw the return of FHA’s insurance Carper Johnson Rounds
unanimous consent that the order for Cassidy Jones Scott (FL)
fund to its strongest financial position the quorum call be rescinded. Collins Kennedy Scott (SC)
since fiscal year 2007, while continuing The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Coons King Shelby
to provide affordable homeownership Cornyn Lankford Sinema
objection, it is so ordered. Cotton Lee Sullivan
opportunities to tens of thousands of Cramer Loeffler Tester
CLOTURE MOTION
first-time homebuyers each year. Since Crapo Manchin Thune
the outbreak, he has worked to make Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays Cruz McConnell Tillis
sure that FHA performs its traditional before the Senate the pending cloture Daines McSally Warner
countercyclical role of maintaining li- motion, which the clerk will state. Enzi Menendez Wicker
Ernst Moran Young
quidity and credit access in the mort- The legislative clerk read as follows:
gage market where traditional sources CLOTURE MOTION NAYS—29
of home financing may have dried up. We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
Baldwin Gillibrand Schatz
For over a year now, Mr. Mont- ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Blumenthal Harris Schumer
Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby Booker Hassan Shaheen
gomery has also served in the capacity Brown Heinrich
move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- Smith
of Acting Deputy Secretary at HUD, Cantwell Hirono Stabenow
nation of Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, to
where he has managed the day-to-day be Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban
Casey Kaine Udall
operations of the Department under Cortez Masto Klobuchar Van Hollen
Development. Duckworth Peters
Secretary Ben Carson. Mr. Mont- Warren
Mitch McConnell, Jerry Moran, James Durbin Reed
Wyden
gomery knows the Department inside Lankford, John Barrasso, James E. Feinstein Rosen
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