September 30, 2025

Ahead of Committee Vote, Warren Releases Troubling Responses from Trump’s Treasury and Housing Nominees

Text of Burke Response (PDF) | Text of Hobbs Response (PDF) | Text of Kurtz Response (PDF) | Text of Pilkerton Response (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the committee vote, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, released the troubling responses from President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Questions for the Record (QFRs) she submitted following their respective confirmation hearings on September 4, 2025.

Treasury Assistant Secretary Nominee Jonathan Burke

Ranking Member Warren’s questions to Jonathan Burke, President Trump’s nominee for Assistant Secretary at the Treasury Department, focused on sanctions modernization, sanctions policy including our Russia, Syria, and Venezuela programs, and enforcement of key anti-money laundering laws. In his responses, Mr. Burke provided no indication that he would push back on the Administration’s harmful rollbacks on counter-illicit finance. He also failed to acknowledge that Russia initiated the war against Ukraine, calling into doubt whether he would advocate an end to what is now an eight-month pause on even basic Russia sanctions.

See Burke’s responses HERE.

HUD Assistant Secretary Nominee Ben Hobbs

Ranking Member Warren pressed Ben Hobbs, nominee for Assistant Secretary of HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), to clarify his positions on key issues, including plans to address the housing crisis, potential changes to public and Indian housing programs, and harmful Trump proposals. While Mr. Hobbs’s responses were bleak, he doubled down in his support for punitive and costly measures that undermine the effectiveness of PIH programs, including the Administration’s English-only efforts, work requirements, and time limits on housing assistance.

See Hobbs’s responses HERE.

HUD Assistant Secretary Nominee Ronnie Kurtz

Ranking Member Warren’s questioning of Ronnie Kurtz, nominee for Assistant Secretary of HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), centered on CPD’s role in addressing the nation’s housing and homelessness crisis, disaster recovery efforts, and the effects of staffing shortages at HUD. In his responses, Mr. Kurtz refused to commit to opposing efforts to eliminate programs critical to increasing housing supply and lowering housing costs – ensuring housing remains unaffordable as Trump’s tariffs continue to increase housing costs.

See Kurtz’s responses HERE.

Treasury Assistant Secretary Nominee Christopher Pilkerton

In her questions to Christopher Pilkerton, President Trump’s nominee for Assistant Secretary at the Treasury Department, Ranking Member Warren sought clarification on Pilkerton’s positions on investment security. In his responses, Mr. Pilkerton avoided committing to working with Congress to codify the outbound investment security program to protect against supercharging the development of sensitive technologies in countries of concern. He also failed to specifically address whether he would treat those who contributed to the Trump campaign or Trump family the same as others if he is confirmed.

See Pilkerton’s responses HERE.

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