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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 61 FHA has performed heroically several times in our nation's past, especially after the housing market collapsed in 2007 and 2008, when FHA stepped in." TAKING ON TERM NO. 2 Montgomery's ascension to the FHA's top position wasn't an easy one, to say the least. Despite his previous tenure as commissioner from 2005 to 2009—he served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama—his experience didn't exactly make for the smooth second confirmation most would expect. His most recent Senate confirmation hearing? Montgomery said it was almost the complete opposite of his first one. "I'd been at the White House and I had already been vetted, so that side of it was fairly quick," he said of his 2005 confirmation. "I was able get through a process up on the Senate known as unanimous consent. I got through the committee without any objection." e first time around, the process took a mere 60 to 65 days, he said. is time, the gap between Montgomery's appointment— which took place in September 2017—and his eventual confirmation on May 23, 2018, was a whopping eight months. "is most recent time, the hearing was the complete opposite," Montgomery said. "I'm the same person, right? Assistant secretaries and commissioners would typically go through unanimous consent. is go-around they're doing the 30-hour rule for almost every nominee. at's 30 hours of debate." During his most recent Senate confirmation hearing, the Trump appointee faced opposition from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, both who questioned his past work with e Collingwood Group—which helped some of the nation's biggest lenders navigate programmatic and legal challenges. ey also called into question his ability to put aside potential conflicts— particularly with past Collingwood clients like U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo—should he be confirmed. "Can you imagine a $10- to $11 billion-dollar company not having a CEO for four years?" —Brian Montgomery, Commissioner, FHA DS News Editor-in-Chief Rachel Williams and FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery discuss the role of the Federal Housing Administration.