Benjamin Carson, former presidential candidate and secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first Trump administration, was sworn in as USDA’s National Advisor for Nutrition, Health and Housing on Sept. 24.
“There is no one more qualified than Dr. Carson to advise on policies that improve Americans’ everyday quality of life, from nutrition to healthcare quality to ensuring families have access to safe and stable housing,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. “With six in 10 Americans living with at least one chronic disease, and rural communities facing unique challenges with respect to adequate housing, Dr. Carson’s insight and experience is critical.”
“Today, too many Americans are suffering from the effects of poor nutrition,” Carson said. “Through common-sense policymaking, we have an opportunity to give our most vulnerable families the tools they need to flourish.”
As National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing, Dr. Carson will advise both President Trump and Secretary Rollins on policies related to nutrition, rural healthcare quality and housing accessibility. He will serve as the department’s chief voice on these matters, join Secretary Rollins for her work on the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission, and partner closely with leadership in USDA’s Rural Development Mission Area.
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Carson served as director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a position he assumed at just 33 years old, becoming the youngest major division director in the hospital’s history.
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