NEW: Trump Nominee Confirmed In 55-44 Senate Vote

Another pick for President Donald Trump’s cabinet has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Scott Turner, who once lived out his dream of playing American professional football, has been confirmed as the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by a vote of 55-44.

As head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Turner will be tasked with tackling the issue of homelessness, creating and distributing assistance for both renters and homeowners and working to prevent any kind of housing discrimination.

The agency is staffed with 10,000 workers and has a budget of over $70 billion to work with.

Turner played with several different teams during his tenure in the NFL, including the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos. During the vote on Wednesday, only two Democrats, Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and John Fetterman (D-PA), cast votes in his favor.

For those who might not remember, this is the same position that was once occupied by Ben Carson during the first Trump administration. Turner also served in Trump’s first administration, occupying the position of director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

Turner is also a former member of the Texas legislature. While providing testimony before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee a month ago, the former NFL star shared stories of his childhood growing up in Texas and how he used to work as a dishwasher for a BBQ restaurant.

Speaking to the panel, he said that more housing is needed in the U.S., and jobs need to be created to help end the homelessness crisis in our country. He stated that the agency was “broken” and insisted employees needed to return to the office to fulfill their job duties.

“We have a housing crisis in our country, where American people and families are struggling every day,” he said to the committee. “HUD is failing at its most basic mission.”

The agency has played a significant role in the development of housing and other related issues. A big chunk of the budget is dedicated to providing lower-income folks, homeless people, the elderly, and the disabled with affordable housing that meets their needs. Over two million families receive assistance from the agency, which also oversees a total of 790,000 public housing units all over America.

HUD also oversees a mortgage and loan insurance program for homeowners, helps distribute block grants that provide support and assistance for the development of low-income housing, and helps develop communities.

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment, which is a non-profit organization, stated that it is ready to get on board and work closely with Scott to “achieve our shared vision of thriving communities with affordable homes for all.”

The statement also stated that the group would work with HUD to ensure that housing and community development agencies nationwide receive their federally appropriated funds without disruption.