The Senate on Monday confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a 54-45 vote.
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President Donald Trump selected Mullin earlier this month, tapping the Oklahoma senator to oversee DHS operations spanning border security, cybersecurity and domestic threat response.
Mullin’s confirmation follows the departure of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who was named special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a role in which the two-time Wash100 awardee will focus on Western Hemisphere security efforts.
His appointment, effective March 31, comes as DHS faces a prolonged funding impasse, with the department in a partial shutdown that has lasted more than five weeks amid congressional deadlock.
Who Is Markwayne Mullin?
Mullin is a first-term senator from Oklahoma and an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. His committee assignments include Armed Services, Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Indian Affairs.
His election marked a return of Native American representation in the Senate, making him the first tribal citizen to serve in the upper chamber in nearly two decades.
Prior to his time in the Senate, Mullin spent 10 years in the House representing Oklahoma. Outside of politics, the former mixed martial arts fighter has built a career in the plumbing business spanning more than two decades.
The Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology graduate holds an honorary doctorate from Bacone College.
What Did Mullin Say About DHS Contracts & Enforcement Authority?
During his confirmation hearing, Mullin signaled a shift in management approach at DHS, particularly in procurement oversight and enforcement practices. He said he would end a policy implemented under the previous leadership that involved the personal review of Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts above $100,000, according to Politico.
On immigration enforcement, Mullin outlined a more limited approach to the use of administrative warrants, saying that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should enter homes without a judicial warrant only in highly exigent circumstances. He also pledged to improve coordination with Congress.
