WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security is moving one step closer to confirmation.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s, R-Okla., nomination cleared a key hurdle on Capitol Hill earlier today, advancing out of the Senate Homeland Security Committee in a razor-thin 8-to-7 vote.
Mullin, a first-term senator and close Trump ally, was tapped to replace outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid broader scrutiny of immigration policy and department leadership.
Today’s breakthrough came after Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., broke with his party, casting the deciding vote to move the nomination forward.
“Well, I came up with an open mind and I’m going to maintain that. That was always my commitment to do that and if you’ve listened to anything I’ve said, I think I would have emerged with, like I said, uniformly positive things,” said Fetterman.
Committee chairman, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., opposed Mullin, raising concerns about past aggressive behavior and temperament during heated exchanges. Democrats, including the committee’s ranking member, Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., echoed similar concerns.
“Throughout the nomination process he has failed to be forthright and transparent,” said Sen. Peters. “Senator Mullin also showed that he doesn’t have the experience or the temperament to lead this critical department.”
If confirmed, Mullin would take over one of the government’s largest and most complex agencies, overseeing border security, disaster response and counterterrorism efforts. Senate leadership says a full confirmation vote could happen as early as next week.
