Mister Treanor, President Trump’s nominee to be assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, told the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee that he would “faithfully apply and vigorously enforce the law as congress intended.”

The exchange came amid repeated and pointed questioning from Democrats about Treanor’s civil‑rights record, his past writings and litigation, and whether he would use the office’s authority to address widespread housing discrimination. Senator Elizabeth Warren said Treanor’s tenure at the Department of Education and other writings raised “real concerns” about whether he would rigorously enforce housing‑discrimination laws.

Why this matters: HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity investigates alleged discrimination that affects access to housing, credit and long‑term wealth for millions of Americans. Senators on both sides noted recent data and administrative changes that they say could increase the office’s workload while reducing its resources.

Senator Warren stressed the scale of the workload and complaints to HUD, saying that “last year, there were more than 34,000 complaints to the fair housing office, the most on record in history,” and raised the Justice Department and civil‑rights litigation surrounding Treanor’s prior work. Warren also told the nominee she was concerned about reports that “more than 115 fair housing cases have been halted or closed since President Trump entered office,” and about the White House budget proposal that would “slash” HUD funding for fair‑housing work.

Treanor replied that his legal career focused on representing vulnerable clients and that he intended to apply that experience to HUD investigations. In his opening remarks he said his career as a civil‑rights litigator and as acting head of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights made him “ideally suited” for the job and that he “will work tirelessly to eliminate the scourge of housing discrimination from American life.”

Senators pressed Treanor about specific topics raised in his writings and public statements. Warren referenced a 2021 piece and a 2022 report in which Treanor questioned some prevailing explanations about racial disparities in eviction and other housing outcomes; she also noted ongoing litigation in which civil‑rights groups have sued his office at Education. Treanor responded that some items connected to that litigation are subject to active court proceedings and said he would follow court rulings and enforce the Fair Housing Act.

On protections for LGBTQ people, Senator Tina Smith asked Treanor whether housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited; Treanor said he would enforce the Fair Housing Act “as written by Congress and all court decisions interpreting it,” and referenced the Supreme Court’s Bostock decision in describing related legal principles. When asked directly whether people can experience housing discrimination on the basis of gender identity, he said the department will “vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act” and applicable court decisions.

Senator Raphael Warnock and others asked whether Treanor sees continuing, systemic effects from historic discrimination. Treanor acknowledged the historic harms Black Americans have suffered, said discrimination persists in certain cases, and committed to vigorous enforcement if complaints show unlawful conduct.

Members of the committee also flagged resource and case‑management questions: senators said the administration’s budget proposals could reduce fair‑housing resources by roughly two‑thirds and that reportssuggest a significant reduction in staff. Treanor said he could not act unilaterally on budget matters but pledged to work with committee members and HUD program offices if confirmed.

The committee set deadlines for written follow‑up; senators were told follow‑up questions must be submitted to the record by 12 p.m. Friday, June 13, and witnesses were asked to respond promptly to facilitate processing of nominations.

The hearing record shows substantial disagreement about Treanor’s suitability: Democrats on the committee repeatedly said his past statements and litigation raised doubts about his willingness to enforce civil‑rights protections; Treanor repeatedly framed his record as one of defending vulnerable clients and pledged to enforce the law.

The committee will consider written questions for the record and may move to a committee vote after receiving responses and completing its review.