Mullin Advances to DHS Secretary Confirmation Vote in Senate

The Senate on Sunday voted 54-37 to overcome a procedural hurdle and advance the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, setting up a final confirmation vote expected Monday evening.

The vote to invoke cloture was largely along party lines, with Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico joining Republicans in supporting the motion, according to reports from Punchbowl News and Politico.

Nine senators did not cast a vote, including GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, who has publicly opposed Mullin’s confirmation. Paul was the sole Republican on the committee to vote against advancing Mullin’s nomination last week, Yahoo News Canada reported.

President Donald Trump nominated Mullin to replace Kristi Noem, whom he fired after months of controversy surrounding her leadership of the department. The dismissal followed reports of fatal shootings of U.S. Citizens by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis and scrutiny over a $220 million advertising contract.

Fetterman, who had previously called for Noem’s removal, expressed support for Mullin, stating he approached the confirmation process “with an open mind.” He emphasized a “strong committed, constructive working relationship” with Mullin regarding national security.

Heinrich echoed a similar sentiment, describing Mullin as a “friend” with whom he maintains “a very honest and constructive working relationship.” He added, “I have also seen first-hand that Markwayne is not someone who can simply be bullied into changing his views, and I look forward to having a secretary who doesn’t take their orders from Stephen Miller,” referring to Trump’s Homeland Security advisor.

The path to Mullin’s potential confirmation has been marked by personal conflict with Paul. During a committee hearing, Paul confronted Mullin over an alleged statement where Mullin reportedly called him “a freaking snake.” Paul also accused Mullin of misrepresenting his reaction to an assault in 2017 that left Paul with broken ribs, questioning whether Mullin had ever acknowledged the attack was unjustified.

Mullin addressed Paul’s accusations during his opening statement, stating he made the “snake” comment while Paul was present and attributed it to Paul’s tendency to oppose conservative policies. “As far as my terms of a snake in the grass, I worked to try to fix problems. I’ve worked with many people in this room. It seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us,” Mullin said.

Despite Paul’s opposition, Mullin is expected to secure confirmation in the GOP-controlled Senate.