LETTER: PDE Action Endorses Craig Trainor for Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Chairman Tim Scott
Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
534 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
March 27, 2025
Dear Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Warren,
As the executive director of PDE Action – a nonprofit social welfare organization created to advocate for parental rights at the local, state, and federal level – I wish to convey our organization’s support for Craig Trainor as the next Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, under President Donald J. Trump.
Our organization had the pleasure of working with Craig during his time at the House Committee on the Judiciary, where, as senior special counsel, he worked to safeguard the civil rights and liberties of all Americans. As a trusted member of Chairman Jim Jordan’s Judiciary staff, Craig helped expose the weaponization of the federal government, such as when the National School Boards Association enlisted the prior administration to deploy federal law enforcement assets (including counterterrorism tools) against parents for the “offense” of voicing concerns at local school board meetings over COVID-19 policies, radical curriculum, and other issues. This work was instrumental in uncovering the chilling of First Amendment activity and restoring parental rights to their primary place in their children’s upbringing and education.
In addition, Craig graciously met with delegations of parents during several of our organization’s fly-ins to discuss the committee’s jurisdiction and oversight – patiently answering questions not only during but also after these events, demonstrating that all stakeholders are worthy of engagement, no matter their position or station in life.
While serving as a senior member of the Trump Education Department’s Day One team, Craig’s diligence in ensuring equal protection of all students before the law has been truly commendable. Under his leadership, the Office for Civil Rights opened several directed investigations into numerous school districts and universities maintaining alleged discriminatory policies and practices. This energetic and robust civil rights enforcement sent a clear message to state and local education agencies that such behavior is not only morally reprehensible but illegal and will no longer be tolerated. He will no doubt bring this same energy and conviction when enforcing the Fair Housing Act at HUD.
Craig’s resume is tailor-made for this role; having worked as a civil rights attorney in New York and in Congress and a federal agency, he is intimately familiar with substantive antidiscrimination laws and understands how the two branches can and should interact effectively.
At Parents Defending Education Action, we are proud to endorse Craig Trainor for Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and urge your committee to move quickly to ensure his confirmation in the Senate.
Sincerely,
Nicole Neily
Executive Director
Parents Defending Education Action