TULSA. OKLA. — The Senate committee narrowly advanced Homeland Security secretary nominee Markwayne Mullin in a nail-biting vote to replace Kristi Noem.
Mullin secured an eight-to-seven victory, with Democrat John Fetterman voting yes and Senate Homeland Committee Chairman Rand Paul voting no.
"Senator Paul? No. Mr. Chairman on the vote of those present. The yay’s are eight and the nays are seven. On the vote by proxy and for the record only the yay’s are zero and the nays are zero. On this vote, the yay’s are eight and the nays are seven and the motion to appoint the nominee are agreed to," said Senate Clerk during the roll call.
On Wednesday, Mullin, President Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, faced lawmakers on Capitol Hill. He fielded pointed questions on everything from immigration enforcement and detention conditions to FEMA disaster relief and national security secrets.
Mullin was widely expected to advance out of committee. Now that he has, the next step is a full Senate vote, which will require a simple majority for confirmation.
Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a statement following the vote.
"Markwayne Mullin cast a strong vision for his future leadership at DHS. Whether responding to emergencies or supporting border security, I have confidence that states will have a vital seat at the table with Mullin in President Trump's cabinet," Stitt said.
Fetterman also took his explanation to X.
"In January, I called on the president to fire Noem—and he did. I truly approached the confirmation of my colleague and friend, Senator Mullin, with an open-mind," Fetterman said.
2News will continue to follow this story as it moves to the full Senate vote.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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