The Senate confirmed Senator Markwayne Mullin as President Donald Trump's next Secretary of Homeland Security on March 23 by a vote of 54 to 45. His nomination advanced from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after a contentious hearing where he faced intense questioning about his temperament, past comments, and policy views.
Key Takeaways
The Senate confirmed Senator Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security in a 54-45 vote on March 23. His nomination advanced despite contentious hearings where he faced questions about his temperament and policy views.
- Senate confirms Mullin as DHS secretary with bipartisan support
- Democrats demand reforms to immigration enforcement policies amid partial shutdown
- Mullin commits to requiring judicial warrants for federal agents in most cases
- Shutdown impacts 260,000 employees across multiple agencies
The committee voted 8-7 along party lines on March 19 to advance Mullin's nomination, with Senator Rand Paul as the sole Republican voting against it. Democratic Senator John Fetterman supported the nomination, allowing it to move forward. According to CBS News and The Guardian, Democrats have expressed outrage over Fetterman's decision.
During the confirmation hearing, Mullin committed to working with lawmakers of both parties on immigration policy concerns. He signaled that he would require judicial warrants for federal immigration agents to enter private homes or businesses in most cases, a departure from Trump administration policies as reported by CNBC and Los Angeles Times.
The vote comes amid an ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Democrats have forced in order to demand reforms to immigration enforcement policies. As per Fox News and UPI, this shutdown has led to furloughs or unpaid work for over 260,000 employees across multiple agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Mullin faced tough questions about his temperament from Senator Rand Paul. According to HuffPost and CBS News, Paul confronted Mullin for calling him a 'freaking snake' and appearing to justify a violent 2017 attack on Paul that left the senator with severe injuries. Mullin did not apologize but accused Paul of smearing his character.
Democrats emphasized the need for a steady hand at DHS, criticizing Kristi Noem's leadership as reported by The Guardian and Salon. Senator Gary Peters stated that 'This is a role where temperament matters, where judgment matters and where experience matters.' Democrats also pushed for significant reforms to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates.
Mullin received support from the National Border Patrol Council and Senator James Lankford. As reported by Fox News, Lankford praised Mullin as the 'right man at the right time' to lead DHS. However, critics argue that Mullin lacks the judgment and experience needed for the role.
According to HuffPost, during Trump’s State of the Union address last month, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) held up a sign in silent protest that read: “Black people aren’t apes!” before he was escorted out of the House chamber by the sergeant-at-arms. Mullin was among several Republicans who were seen on camera trying to physically snatch Green’s sign away from his hands that night.
Fox News highlighted that 'The View' co-host Joy Behar called out Sen. John Fetterman for voting to support Mullin to head the Department of Homeland Security. Co-host Sunny Hostin also slammed Mullin and said Republicans could have come up with someone better. She also blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), referring to the agency as 'masked bandits.'
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