Washington, D.C. — The Senate confirmed Senator Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security in a 54-45 vote Monday, installing the Oklahoma Republican to lead the department amid ongoing debates over immigration policy and border security. Six primary accounts informed this report: CBS News, NPR, NBC News, Reuters, Fox News, and USA Today.
- The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm Mullin, with some Democrats joining Republicans to advance the nomination despite opposition from within both parties.
- Mullin replaces Kristi Noem, who was dismissed from the position earlier in March after serving just over two months in the role.
- The Senate Homeland Security Committee had advanced Mullin nomination 8-7 despite opposition from its chair, Senator Rand Paul, who questioned Mullin temperament and past comments.
- Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, has served in the Senate since 2023 after a decade in the House of Representatives.
Additional Details Reported
Mullin confirmation follows a procedural vote on Sunday that advanced his nomination 54-37. The relatively narrow margin reflected concerns from some senators about his approach to immigration enforcement and past controversial statements.
As DHS secretary, Mullin will oversee a department of nearly 250,000 employees responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and transportation security. He takes office amid ongoing tensions over the administration immigration policies and a recent standoff with air traffic controllers.
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