Congresswoman Katie Porter has said it was “disappointing” and “frustrating” to see Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson fail to grasp basic concepts of housing at a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday. Porter, whose exchange with Carson went viral after he appeared to confuse a basic foreclosure term with a cookie, said he “literally gave zero competent answers” when questioned about the housing policies he oversees. “Look these are real people’s lives that he is supposed to be improving through providing quality housing and affordable housing and FHA loans, and he doesn’t understand? And, in fact, he thought it was my job, to teach him,” Porter said in an interview with MSNBC late Tuesday. “I think this was … the worst performance that I have certainly seen to date in financial services,” she said. “Our HUD secretary has made very clear that the only details he cares about are the details that affect his life.”
