WASHINGTON — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is urging President Joe Biden to name California Democrat and progressive stalwart Barbara Lee as her next candidate for housing and urban development secretary, Bass said in an interview Tuesday.
The Cabinet position has been filled on an interim basis by HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, effective March 22. Marcia Fudge resigned from the top job.
Fudge “played a huge role. She’s moved on and I’m sure she’ll continue to contribute in other ways, but I think the perfect person to follow her would be Barbara Lee, because Barbara Lee is the same type of person in terms of being a courageous leader; she worked on this issue for many years,” Bass told NBC News in a phone interview.
The mayor of America’s second-largest city, who served with Lee in the House from 2011 to 2022, said the pair worked together on legislation to ensure youth can find housing after leaving the foster care system and to fight to include rental assistance and funding. said that they took Homeless in covid aid.
“I think her history of fighting for marginalized populations will serve her well,” Bass said of Lee.
The three women—Bass, Lee, and Fudge—share one thing in common: They are all former chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus. Bass had endorsed Lee for an open Senate seat in California, but Lee did not match One of the top two finishers in last month’s primary will advance to the November election.
After more than a quarter century of service in Congress, Lee, 77, will retire from the House early next year.
Biden has not indicated who he plans to name as the next head of HUD, which is responsible for federal housing policies and programs, including mortgage and loan insurance under the Federal Housing Administration; Community Development Block Grants to assist communities with economic development and housing revitalization efforts; and rental assistance through Section 8 certificates or vouchers for low-income families.
The White House is considering several candidates, but no final decision has been made, according to a senior administration official. The official said they believe HUD is a very important Cabinet position, so they are evaluating several options.
Todman, the acting secretary and also a black woman, is also a possibility, the official said.