ABC News(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday.

Carson was confirmed by a 58-41 vote on Thursday, leaving just three of Trump’s cabinet nominees still unconfirmed.

Carson ran for president in 2016, and endorsed President Trump shortly after ending his bid. After initially saying that he would not take a position in Trump’s administration, Carson later accepted the nomination for HUD secretary.

Now, Carson says he will embark on a “listening tour” to learn from HUD employees and public servants around the country about the agency he will head and the issues he will face.

Critics of Carson’s nomination have questioned his lack of experience heading a government department.  

The Washington Post says that HUD’s annual budget for 2017 is nearly $49 billion, which is to be used to provide rental assistance, programs to fight homelessness and investments to battle urban poverty. The department provides assistance to Americans in nearly five million homes.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., issued a statement on Carson’s confirmation, saying that he has “no doubts about Dr. Carson’s commitment to serving this nation.”

“Dr. Carson will look at housing policy with fresh eyes and move forward with programs that will help communities thrive so that all Americans can reach their full potential,” he added.

Later in the day, the Senate confirmed former Texas Governor Rick Perry as the Secretary of Energy.

Perry famously supported the elimination of the Department of Energy, but couldn’t name it, in a 2011 GOP primary debate.

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.