Markwayne Mullin confirmed as DHS secretary in 54-45 Senate vote

Washington — The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin arsenic caput of the Department of Homeland Security connected Monday, finalizing President Trump's shakeup of DHS pursuing months of scrutiny of Kristi Noem's leadership.

In a 54-45 vote, the Senate confirmed Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican who's been successful the Senate since 2023. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico voted successful favour of Mullin's confirmation. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to reason Mullin.

The upheaval astatine DHS culminated successful Noem's ouster arsenic secretary earlier this month. Noem's handling of 2 deadly shootings by national agents during the migration crackdown successful Minneapolis successful January prompted disapproval from Democrats and Republicans and kickstarted an impasse implicit backing for the bureau that has persisted. But it was disapproval implicit Noem's advertising spending astatine a legislature proceeding days earlier her ouster that appeared to seal her fate. 

Mullin volition instrumentality implicit DHS astatine a captious period, with the shutdown of the department nearing 40 days. Democrats person opposed backing DHS without reforms to its migration enforcement agencies. But the 2 sides person appeared much consenting to prosecute successful caller weeks, particularly arsenic TSA staffing shortages person snarled aerial question and accrued unit connected lawmakers to scope a deal. Senators person been negotiating with White House borderline czar Tom Homan, but Mullin could instrumentality connected a starring relation successful the talks going forward. 

Mullin said astatine his confirmation proceeding past week that his enactment volition disagree from Noem's. He said his benignant is "empowering people." And helium indicated that agents volition beryllium required to unafraid judicial warrants to participate homes and businesses, marking a cardinal alteration from DHS' erstwhile position.

Asked Monday astir what changes helium wants to spot astatine DHS nether Mullin, the president told reporters that "he's going to beryllium fantastic. He'll marque his ain changes."



"He's a fantastic guy," Mr. Trump said. "I deliberation he's conscionable the close guy."

In the Senate, Mullin has served arsenic a cardinal communicator betwixt the precocious and little chamber, arsenic good arsenic the White House. Before coming to the Senate, Mullin represented Oklahoma successful the House for a decade. The 48-year-old concern proprietor and erstwhile MMA combatant has been known to enactment crossed the aisle and has beardown relationships with immoderate Democrats, which Heinrich and Fetterman person cited for their support. 

Heinrich said successful a connection Sunday that helium and Mullin person "a precise honorable and constructive moving relationship." He stressed that Mullin is "not idiosyncratic who tin simply beryllium bullied into changing his views," adding that helium looks guardant to having a DHS caput who doesn't "take their orders" from the White House.

"This is going to astonishment immoderate people, but I see Markwayne Mullin a friend," Heinrich said. "We often disagree and erstwhile we do, we enactment to find immoderate communal crushed we share."

For Mullin, it was enactment from a Democrat that allowed his information to determination forward. Paul, the sole Republican to reason Mullin's confirmation, chairs the committee that conducted his confirmation hearing. He wasted nary clip conveying his distaste for Mullin, rapidly calling him retired astatine the proceeding for allegedly calling him a "freaking snake," on with saying helium understood wherefore a neighbour attacked Paul successful 2017. Paul questioned whether "someone who applauds unit against their governmental opponents is the close idiosyncratic to pb an bureau that has struggled to judge limits to the due usage of force." 

Paul yet voted against advancing Mullin's information retired of the committee, but Fetterman provided the cardinal ballot allowing it to determination forward. 

Mullin's confirmation opens a spot successful the Senate, which Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is expected to rapidly capable by appointing a replacement. Stitt is wide expected to pat Alan Armstrong, an lipid and state executive, who would service successful the Senate until voters prime a replacement to service retired the remainder of Mullin's term.