He went to the House of Representatives in 1995 but retired in 2001 after sticking to self-imposed term limits. (Mr Carson replaced him.) His small-government militancy has led him at various times to talk of closing down the Department for Housing and Urban Development, and of privatising Social Security.

ECONOMIST: When an ultra-conservative meets a gun-loving Democrat

The Presidential memorandum gave lead agencies (The Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, along with the Social Security Administration) 150 days to deliver operational plans responsive to the implementation of the Strategy.

WHITEHOUSE: Moving Forward to Implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy | The White House