Washington — The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday advanced Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security, setting up a vote before the full chamber as early as next week.
In an 8 to 7 vote, the committee advanced Mullin’s nomination. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee’s chairman, was the sole Republican to vote against advancing the nomination. But support from Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania allowed the nomination to move forward.
The vote came after Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, appeared before the committee for a confirmation hearing a day earlier. The hearing immediately grew heated when Paul called out Mullin for allegedly calling him a “freaking snake,” along with saying he understood why a neighbor attacked Paul in 2017. The Kentucky Republican questioned whether “someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force.”
Mullin responded, telling Paul “we just don’t get along,” while accusing him of fighting with Republicans more frequently than working with them. But Mullin said differences of opinion won’t keep him from doing his job if confirmed as DHS secretary.
Leaving the hearing Wednesday, it remained unclear whether the committee vote would move forward amid confusion over an overseas work trip that Mullin said was classified. Paul suggested that he could delay the vote if the issue over the classified trip wasn’t resolved, but Mullin agreed to speak with senators in a secure location about the work he said he did while he was a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. After the meeting, GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said the matter involved a “non disclosure dealing with a whistle blower.” He added that it was”mountain, molehill stuff.”
Despite the heated moments, many of the committee members praised Mullin during his confirmation hearing and highlighted his willingness to work across the aisle, including Fetterman. The Pennsylvania Democrat said Mullin has displayed “consistent kindness and professionalism.”
Every other Democrat opposed advancing Mullin’s nomination Thursday. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Committee, said ahead of the vote Thursday that Mullin has failed to be “forthright and transparent” throughout the confirmation process. He said Mullin has also shown “that he doesn’t have the experience or the temperament to lead this critical department.”
“The Department of Homeland Security needs a leader who can restore the trust that DHS has broken with the American people and with this committee,” Peters said. “At his confirmation hearing yesterday we saw that unfortunately, Sen. Mullin is not up to that challenge.”
President Trump nominated Mullin to replace DHS Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this month amid intense criticism over the department’s immigration enforcement operation. But the final blow for Noem’s leadership seemed to come at a pair of congressional hearings days before her ouster as she faced pushback from Republicans, including on DHS’ controversial advertising spending.
Mr. Trump praised Mullin as a “MAGA Warrior” who he said “truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda.”
The 48-year-old business owner and former MMA fighter has been in the Senate since 2023, after representing Oklahoma in the House for a decade.
Asked during the hearing Wednesday how he would be different from Noem, Mullin said “everybody has different leadership styles.” His style, he said, is “empowering people.”
“I want to protect the homeland, I want to bring peace of mind, I want to bring confidence back to the agency,” Mullin said. “I’m not going to be the smartest guy in any room I walk into, but I know how to get talent and I know how to bring those people together.”