Only four members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs were present Thursday morning to question Matt Jones during his confirmation hearing to lead the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

According to the committee’s ranking member, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the Senate’s Republican majority leader, John Thune of North Dakota, dismissed lawmakers Wednesday night to return to their home districts.

“Committees almost never hold nomination hearings when the Senate has adjourned for recess,” Warren said in opening remarks, calling it “irresponsible to waive senior officials through the process without giving every senator the opportunity to ask questions.”

The Trump administration nominated Jones in mid-September for assistant secretary for housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which includes the responsibility of FHA commissioner. If confirmed, he would oversee the agency’s government-insured mortgage portfolio of more than 8 million loans representing over $1.6 trillion in unpaid principal balance.

Jones, who has served as deputy assistant secretary for single-family housing at HUD since early 2025, testified Thursday morning alongside three nominees for trade-related positions at the Treasury Department and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Of the two committee members who eventually questioned Jones out of the four present, Warren was ultimately not one of them. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, was, however.

“If confirmed as FHA commissioner, what would be your top priorities for the agency and what would you hope to accomplish during your tenure?” asked Crapo.

“I think the American people understand we need more supply,” responded Jones, who supported Crapo as senior counsel on the Senate Banking Committee from 2017 to 2021. He cited initiatives recently passed in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and efforts being advanced at FHA and HUD to promote the construction and financing of manufactured homes, citing a “generational opportunity in the non-site-built housing space.”

Jones underscored “over 150 regulatory requirements within the single-family program” that he said have been cut under his tenure at HUD, including those related to construction, origination and servicing costs. He also emphasized banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes and ongoing credit score modernization efforts.

Beginning his mortgage career as a loan originator for Michigan-based AmeriFirst Home Mortgage, Jones has worked on housing finance policy from many different positions across the public and private sector. That includes various government housing policy stints with the Mortgage Bankers Association, which applauded Jones in a letter sent to committee leadership ahead of the hearing.

“Mr. Jones brings an impressive combination of firsthand mortgage industry experience, deep knowledge of government housing finance and a strong understanding of how FHA programs can better serve homebuyers, renters and lenders,” stated Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the association.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.C., asked Jones whether he would advance ongoing efforts to harmonize minimum property standards across government-related housing entities, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“Yes, senator,” responded Jones, citing an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March related to that issue. Jones added that FHA and HUD are “actively working to implement” that executive order, “which would involve that collaboration.”

The Community Home Lenders of America, which represents mostly small and midsize mortgage banks, also sent a letter to the committee in support of Jones’ nomination.

“CHLA has worked with Mr. Jones over many years and is confident that he has the experience, judgment and leadership skills necessary to strengthen FHA, expand responsible access to mortgage credit and ensure the agency remains financially sound for the long term,” the trade group said.