U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Homeland Safety secretary, tesifies earlier than a Senate Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 18, 2026.
Evan Vucci | Reuters
A day after a testy affirmation listening to, a Senate committee on Thursday superior the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to steer the Division of Homeland Safety.
Mullin cleared his first procedural hurdle to main the division regardless of prodding from his Senate friends on Wednesday over his temperament, DHS’ immigration insurance policies and a visit he stated he took overseas whereas a member of the Home that he repeatedly stated was “categorised.”
“All through the nomination course of, he has didn’t be forthright and clear,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the highest Democrat on the panel, stated at first of the listening to. Sen. Mullin additionally confirmed that he does not have the expertise or the temperament to steer this vital division.”
The vote was 8-7, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, chair of the Senate panel, the lone Republican vote in opposition to the nomination and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., the lone Democrat voting in favor. Republicans maintain an 8-7 majority on the committee.
Mullin’s nomination now goes to the total Senate, the place he’ll want a easy majority to be confirmed. Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., instructed reporters that vote may happen subsequent week.
Mullin is poised to take over an company at a time of peak public scrutiny and amid a funding lapse. DHS has been shut down since February, as Senate Democrats and the White Home continued to barter over immigration enforcement insurance policies.
Paul’s “no” vote got here after he lashed out on the nominee the day prior. Mullin not too long ago stated he understood why Paul’s neighbor bodily attacked him in 2017 and referred to as Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican who typically doesn’t vote together with his get together, a “freaking snake.” Paul referred to as Mullin “unrepentant.”
“I simply surprise if somebody who applauds violence in opposition to their political opponents is the precise particular person to steer an company that has struggled to simply accept limits to the correct use of drive,” Paul stated.
For a interval on Wednesday, the scheduled committee vote on Mullin’s affirmation appeared unsure as questions swirled round Mullin’s hazy description of what he described as a “categorised” journey overseas.
After the general public listening to on Wednesday, some committee members relocated to a Delicate Compartmented Info Facility to get extra info from Mullin in an surroundings the place he may speak about categorised info.
“In 2015, I used to be requested to coach with a really small contingency and go to a sure space,” Mullin stated through the Wednesday listening to. “Throughout that point, I used to be requested to undergo, needed to meet sure coaching {qualifications}.” The element of the journey stay unclear, although any doubt it forged was not sufficient to derail his candidacy in committee.
Mullin was tapped to steer the company earlier this month after President Donald Trump ousted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem by way of a Fact Social publish.
Fetterman declined to talk to reporters outdoors the listening to room following the vote, as an alternative referring them to a press release posted to his X.
“In January, I referred to as on the president to fireside Noem —and he did. I really approached the affirmation of my colleague and pal, Senator Mullin, with an open-mind,” Fetterman stated in the publish. “We want a frontrunner at DHS. We should reopen DHS. My AYE is rooted in a robust dedicated, constructive working relationship with Senator Mullin for our nation’s safety.”
Noem has been lambasted by lawmakers on each side of the aisle for her management. And polling on the Trump administration’s immigration insurance policies flagged within the winter after two U.S. residents have been killed by federal brokers throughout an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis in January.
Mullin, signaling a break from his predecessor stated Wednesday that he would require immigration brokers to acquire judicial warrants to enter personal property. He additionally appeared open to rethinking Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s position in immigration crackdowns.
“I’d like to see ICE turn out to be a transport greater than the entrance line. If we get again … into simply merely working with legislation enforcement, we’ll them, and we’re selecting up these criminals from their jail,” Mullin stated.
