Homeland Security Nominee Clears Key Hurdle

Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Homeland Security Nominee Clears Key Hurdle If confirmed, Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would be taking over the department at a sensitive moment. Listen · 3:55 min Share full article 2 By Madeleine Ngo and Michael Gold March 19, 2026, 9:42 a.m. ET Senators moved to speed the nomination of Markwayne Mullin, President Trump’s pick to lead the Homeland Security Department, to the Senate floor, setting him up to take over the agency at the center of Mr. Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted, 8 to 7, to send Mr. Mullin’s nomination to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation, with most Republicans and one Democrat voting to advance the nomination. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee’s Republican chairman, defected from his party and voted in opposition. Mr. Mullin retained sufficient support on the committee, however, with the backing of Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat. Mr. Mullin is expected to face a confirmation vote in the Senate next week. Mr. Mullin, who is well liked personally by his Senate colleagues, was expected to be swiftly confirmed. But that trajectory was briefly in doubt on Wednesday when Mr. Mullin clashed with Mr. Paul over his temperament and comments he made about experiencing a war zone , even though he has no military background. Mr. Paul threatened to hold up the vote if Mr. Mullin did not elaborate on a trip he took overseas while a member of the House, which Mr. Mullin said was classified . Mr. Paul and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the panel, demanded that Mr. Mullin disclose details in a secure room after the hearing. Mr. Paul later told reporters he planned to vote against Mr. Mullin’s confirmation. If confirmed, Mr. Mullin would be taking over the Homeland Security Department at a sensitive moment. Under the departing secretary, Kristi Noem, the department advanced Mr. Tr...