Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., was sworn in as the U.S.'s ninth secretary of Homeland Security on Tuesday with President Donald Trump in attendance at a ceremony in the Oval Office. The Senate confirmed Mullin to head DHS by a vote of 54-45 on Monday, with two Democrats joining Republicans: Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
Key Takeaways
Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as the ninth secretary of Homeland Security after a bipartisan Senate vote. He succeeds Kristi Noem amid ongoing turmoil at DHS over immigration enforcement policies.
- Markwayne Mullin sworn in as DHS Secretary with President Trump present
- 54 senators voted to confirm Mullin, including two Democrats: John Fetterman and Martin Heinrich
- Mullin replaces outgoing secretary Kristi Noem who will lead the Shield of the Americas security initiative
- Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to fill Mullin's Senate seat until November
The confirmation comes as DHS faces increased turmoil and congressional scrutiny over immigration enforcement operations at ICE and CBP, where Democrats continue to withhold funding for TSA and other subagencies. Mullin succeeds outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, who will lead the Shield of the Americas security initiative announced by Trump earlier this month.
In his remarks after being sworn in by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Mullin emphasized his commitment to protecting all Americans regardless of political affiliation and pledged to work alongside DHS employees. He noted that he had visited with agency staff working without pay due to a Democrat-forced partial shutdown of the agency.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to temporarily fill Mullin's Senate seat until November, when an election for the position can be held. Under Oklahoma state law, Armstrong must pledge not to run for a full term this fall. The conservative replaces Mullin, meaning the balance of power in the Senate will remain unchanged.
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