The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs voted on January 17 to recommend two nominees for HUD assistant secretary positions. The nominees are Brian Montgomery for HUD assistant secretary for housing and commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Robert Kurtz for assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing. Both Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Kurtz were previously approved by the Banking Committee in November (See Memo, 12/4). Senate rules, however, kept the nominations from being carried into the 2018 session, and a new vote was required.
Both Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Kurtz have experience at HUD. This would be Mr. Montgomery’s second time as the FHA commissioner. He held the position under the Bush administration from 2005 to 2009. Mr. Kurtz is currently the deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at HUD in the Office of the Secretary. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) voted against both nominations, and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) voted against the nomination of Mr. Montgomery. The nominees will next be voted on by the full Senate; the timing for such a vote is uncertain.