Kalle Benallie
ICT
In a long, sometimes heated, confirmation hearing, Markwayne Mullin will soon know if he will become the Secretary for Homeland Security.
Mullin, Cherokee, would become only the second Native American to be a U.S. cabinet member. Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, was Secretary of Interior from 2021 to 2025.
On March 17, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held Mullin’s confirmation hearing for Secretary for Homeland Security.
The department’s work includes counterterrorism operations, disaster recovery, physical and cyber protection of critical infrastructure and immigration enforcement.
“We need a steady, qualified leader at the Department of Homeland Security to address these serious threats. How the Homeland Security Secretary responds to a crisis sends signals to everyone, from the department’s own personnel, to the American people and to the entire world. It’s not the role of the secretary to be a cable news commentator in the wake of a crisis,” Senator Gary Peters said.
Mullin faced questions from the committee for three hours and while there was little discussion surrounding tribal nations, one senator did broach the subject.
Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona asked if Mullin will respect tribal sovereignty, especially due to Mullin’s background, for tribes near the U.S.- Mexico border.
“Now, we still have a job to secure the border. But we will work with tribal nations, because there’s other ways to have a physical barrier. You can have technology there, too,” Mullin said
Mullin has served in Congress for over 13 years, 10 years in the House of Representatives, three in the Senate.
The Oklahoma senator faced questions about his temperament, specifically from Rand Paul, with whom Mullin has a contentious relationship.
Mullin has called him a “freaking snake,” siding with Paul’s neighbor who left the senator with multiple broken ribs after a surprise attack, the neighbor having tackled the senator years ago as he was doing yardwork outside his home.
While he may have differing opinions with those on the committee, Mullin said he would be protecting everyone if confirmed for the post.
“I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as Secretary of Homeland, I will be protecting everybody, including Kentucky, as much as I will my own backyard in Oklahoma. It’s bigger than the partisan bickering that we have. It’s bigger than the political differences we have,” he said.
Paul also referenced Mullin’s near physical fight with Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, in 2023 at a senate hearing.
Paul asked if Mullin agreed that political disagreements warrants violence.
“I don’t always agree with that. I don’t believe in political violence,” Mullin said.
Peters asked Mullin if he would respond the same way as he did about Alex Pretti, one of two victims during the ICE protests in Minnesota, calling him a “deranged individual that came to cause max damage.”
“Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn’t have said that, as Secretary, I wouldn’t. The investigation is ongoing. Like I said, there’s sometimes I’m going to make [a] mistake, and I own it. That one, I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary,” Mullin said.
Peters asked if he would apologize to the family and Mullin said he will apologize when proven wrong by the investigation.
Senator Richard Blumenthal asked about Mullin’s comments about Renee Good, which he said the shooting was justified. Mullin would not comment if he regrets the statement and understands the FBI is investigating.
Senator Bernie Moreno, voiced his support for Mullin. Republican Senators Rick Scott, Joni Ernst, Ashley Moody, Josh Hawley and James Lankford stated their support for Mullin as well.
“I know that is a good man. I will vote for you, our Republican colleagues will vote for you. You will get confirmed, you will do a great job, and you will make this country proud, Markwayne,” Moreno said.
Senator Maggie Hassan asked Mullin if he would break the law if President Trump asked him to.
Mullin said the president wouldn’t ask that.
She further pressed how former Secretary Kristi Noem greenlit “lawless behavior” and if Mullin would do the same.
“I will operate within the parameters and the policies and the laws that you guys set for me,” Mullin said. “Of course, the Constitution of the United States. I’ll swear to uphold that, when I get sworn in, but be very clear, I don’t get to choose the laws that I enforce. You guys passed the laws.”
Hassan asked if Mullin will make sure that no ICE facilities will be built in New Hampshire, where she serves, and other communities.
“We want to work with community leaders. We want to be good partners, and we’re gonna work in your state as hard to make sure we build relationships, and work in that manner,” Mullin said.
Mullin said there have been no quotas provided to him, about arresting a certain amount of people a day, and he will follow the policies that president will give to him.
“A judicial warrant will be used to go into houses, in a place of businesses, unless we’re pursuing someone that enters in that place,” he said.
Mullin said it will be the last resort to defund sanctuary cities and that he hopes to partner with cities to enforce the law.
“I would love to see ICE become a transport more than the front line. If we get back into just simply working with law enforcement, we’re going to them, and we’re picking up these criminals from their jail. One, we’re gonna reimburse them for having the person there. And a partnership is vitally important. I don’t think there needs to be a law to change that,” he said.
Mullin also reiterated his bipartisan commitment with being part of a centrist group called “No Labels” and leading a bipartisan workout/running group for over a decade with house members and senators.
Fellow Oklaoma Senator James Lankford asked Mullin on how to improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mullin said he would reevaluate how to work with states and have funding done quickly.
“I think it needs to be restructured, not eliminated,” Mullin responded to Senator Andy Kim’s question about Kristi Noem wanting to end FEMA.
He also agreed with Kim about having a nominee to be a FEMA administrator.
“My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day. My goal is for people to understand we’re out there, we’re protecting them,” he said.
Paul and Peters later pressed Mullin on a classified official trip that Mullin didn’t provide information to the committee. He publicly said that underwent specialized survival training in 2016 to Azerbaijan.
Mullin said he didn’t need to indicate the trip because the documents provided to him for the hearing didn’t require him to state classified or official trips. Senator Peters said his letter said to provide classified information and not exclude official travel.
The senators said they couldn’t find Mullin’s classified documents with other departments and asked Mullin to come forward with information.
Mullin said it was he and three other people that were involved and the House classified it.
The New York Times reported that Mullin and senators walked into the closed-door meeting in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, after the confirmation hearing concluded.
The committee will reconvene on March 19 to vote. After that, the Senate will have to vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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