The Senate Banking Committee delayed a confirmation vote for Jeffrey Ledbetter, President Donald Trump's nominee for Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector general, on July 23, 2026, following concerns over FBI background checks.
Ranking member Elizabeth Warren requested a closed session during the morning hearing, citing unresolved questions from an FBI briefing on the nominees.
"We should put off this markup until we have confidence that the FBI has run down all the answers," Warren said.
She added that all committee members, both Democrats and Republicans, deserve to be fully informed before voting.
Lawmakers voted 12-10 to enter a private session to evaluate personnel records.
After the closed-door meeting, the committee reconvened and advanced Council of Economic Advisers nominee Christopher Phelan and National Credit Union Administration nominee John Crews via 13-11 partisan votes.
Ledbetter was not mentioned or voted on.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, "The White House expects all of President Trump's well-qualified nominees to be swiftly confirmed."
Ledbetter was nominated in April after spending over 30 years with the Army's Criminal Investigation Division and serving as a supervisory special agent in the Defense Department's inspector general office.
CFPB Nominee Faces Questions
During the same session, the panel held a confirmation hearing for Brian Johnson, Trump's nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Johnson faced heavy questioning from Democrats about potential staff cuts and decisions by acting leadership to drop enforcement cases against corporate donors.
"I have an open mind about staffing levels for offices, and my understanding of the state of litigation is that I'll have the opportunity to make those judgments," Johnson said.
Warren pressed Johnson on whether he would notify the committee if contacted by the Trump family about a political donor under investigation.
Johnson responded, "With respect, I dispute the premise of the question." Warren replied, "Your answer indicates you're just going to keep that machine humming."
Johnson clarified his stance on the agency's future role, saying, "That's not my intention. The CFPB is a creature of statute."
He acknowledged the CFPB is capable of great good but noted deficiencies in the current legislative structure and advocated for changes to its authority and structure.
Senator Bernie Moreno raised concerns about credit approval practices at online auto seller Carvana, noting an approval rate of nearly 100%.
"Having been in the car business for a long time, that doesn't exist," Moreno said. He requested Johnson investigate the company if confirmed.
Johnson agreed, saying, "Senator, if confirmed, I'd be happy to take a look."
The CFPB currently lacks direct supervisory authority over most automotive dealerships under the Dodd-Frank Act.
