May 05, 2025

Ahead of Committee Vote, Warren Releases Troubling Responses from Trump Economic, Housing, and National Security Nominees

Text of Bowman Response (PDF) | Text of Hughes Response (PDF) | Text of Woll Response (PDF) | Text of Hurley Response (PDF) | Text of Fogel Response (PDF) | Text of Heid 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 April 10, 2025. 

Vice Chairman for Supervision, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Nominee Michelle Bowman 

Senator Warren’s questions to Governor Michelle Bowman focused on Bowman’s track record of deregulating Wall Street banks, and taking a light touch approach to supervision and enforcement, at the expense of the American people. Warren also questioned Bowman on the Trump Administration’s troubling intrusion on the Fed’s independence. At the confirmation hearing, Senator Warrenpressed the nominee on the potential financial stability impact of Trump’s reckless tariffs, but she refused to answer. In her written responses to the same question, she again refused to answer, which was a common theme throughout her written responses. 

Bowman was clear about her intent to champion more big bank mergers that undermine competition and harm consumers and small businesses, responding: “Merger transactions help to promote the long-term health and viability of banks and allow for transitions in bank ownership.” Governor Bowman also refused to take accountability for her role deregulating large banks in 2019, which led to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest bank failures in U.S. history. When pressed about the serious risks that climate change poses to the stability of our financial system, Governor Bowman responded: “Climate is not an issue within the remit of the Federal Reserve.” In addition, she failed to address whether discrimination is still a problem in the banking system, signaled a weak approach to enforcement, and confirmed that more Wall Street deregulation is on the way. Notably, she refused to answer whether she met with President-elect Trump or his transition team while on an official Federal Reserve-funded trip to West Palm Beach in November 2024. See Bowman’s responses HERE. 

HUD Deputy Secretary Nominee Andrew Hughes

Senator Warren pressed Andrew Hughes, nominee for Deputy Secretary at the Department of Housing and Development (HUD) on his readiness to manage the nation’s housing policy at a time of skyrocketing rents and homelessness, especially while the Trump Administration’s DOGE is making drastic cuts to the department. In his responses, Mr. Hughes did not provide substantive answers to questions about potential HUD staffing cuts, including at local field offices, and funding freezes, such as $800 million in funding under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. Mr. Hughes also failed to address how HUD will help homebuilders and Americans seeking a mortgage with rising costs caused by President Trump’s tariffs war. See Hughes’s responses HERE.

HUD General Counsel Nominee David Woll   

In her questions to David Woll, nominee for General Counsel at HUD, Senator Warren focused on Woll’s willingness to support the Trump Administration’s aggressive deregulatory agenda. In his responses, Mr. Woll committed to not advising anyone to violate the law or to disregard a court order and confirmed he was unaware of any circumstances in which White House officials may direct the initiation, conduct, or termination of individual enforcement actions at HUD. Mr. Woll also agreed to advocate for HUD to have staffing levels sufficient to perform its statutory mission. But Mr. Woll pointedly refused to answer whether he had signed a loyalty pledge to President Trump. See Woll’s responses HERE.

Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, Department of the Treasury Nominee John Hurley

Senator Warren’s questions to John Hurley, nominee for Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes at the Department of the Treasury, centered on his policy views and whether he has the judgment and experience to lead the office responsible for applying sanctions, combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and defending the financial system from national security threats. In his responses, Mr. Hurley noted significant areas of agreement with Treasury’s October 2021 sanctions review and discussed the importance of using sanctions strategically. However, Mr. Hurley did not say whether he supports full implementation and enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act, including provisions that require U.S.-registered entities to report beneficial ownership information so that the Sinaloa cartel, Iran, and China cannot use U.S. companies to commit crimes and undermine our national security. See Hurley’s responses HERE.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, Department of Commerce Nominee David Fogel 

In her questions to David Fogel, nominee for Assistant Secretary and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce, Senator Warren focused on the potential job losses resulting from Trump’s reckless tariff policies and the influence of corporate influence in trade negotiations. In his response, Mr. Fogel refused to provide substantive answers to how the Administration will address the economic damage to American families and workers that the President’s reckless tariff agenda is creating. See Fogel’s responses HERE.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Department of Commerce Nominee Landon Heid 

Senator Warren’s questioning of Landon Heid, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Commerce at the Department of Commerce, focused on the use of export controls to prevent our adversaries from acquiring critical technologies. Mr. Heid, in his response, refused to commit to maintaining existing export controls on Russia, which the United States has implemented in partnership with our allies and partners, and which are essential to preventing Russia from using western technology to strengthen its war machine. See Heid’s responses HERE.

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