The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Marcia Fudge to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, picking up the pace for confirmations in Joe Biden’s cabinet.
Fudge, a veteran lawmaker and congresswoman from Ohio, will lead the housing agency just as Congress has passed new benefits for renters and homeowners who have suffered economic losses amid the coronavirus pandemic. She is also the first Black woman to run the agency in decades.
Regan, who has served as North Carolina’s top environmental regulator since 2017, will help lead Biden’s efforts to address climate change and advocate for environmental justice, two of the administration’s top priorities. He is the first Black man to run the EPA.
Fudge, who has represented parts of Cleveland and Akron in the House since…