She was confirmed 66-34.
Vice President Kamala Harris will administer the oath of office and take the oath at Fudge during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday night.
Fudge has represented Ohio in Congress since 2008 and has chaired the Congressional Black Caucus. His appointment to the Biden Cabinet leaves a vacancy in the House, where Democrats hold a narrow majority. She formally resigned her seat in the House shortly after the final House vote on Covid’s relief project.
As head of the housing agency, Fudge will inherit the challenges of the United States’ housing crisis exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My first priority as a secretary would be to alleviate the crisis and get people the support they need to go back over the line,” she said during the Senate confirmation hearing in January.
She argued that Americans need more than an extension of the eviction moratorium and Congress’ $ 25 billion provision of rent assistance.
Fudge also promised to fulfill Biden’s promise to build 1.5 million low-energy, economical housing units, urged to address the homeless crisis with “compassion and determination” and called for an end to discriminatory practices in the housing market .
During the hearing, the Ohio Democrat also faced scrutiny from Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey, who said he was concerned about previous comments she made “attacking and disparaging the integrity and motives of Republican officials with whom you have political disagreements”. Toomey, who chaired the Senate Banking Committee at the time, also raised concerns about Fudge’s lack of experience in housing policy.
Fudge responded by arguing that she has a history of bipartisanship and the “ability and ability to work with Republicans, and that is exactly what I intend to do”. She also mentioned her experience as the first black woman to serve as mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, during which she claimed to have expanded affordable housing.