After just over three years in the Senate, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — a former plumber and mixed martial arts fighter — has been tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Now the Oklahoma Republican is in for a massive test as the department’s ninth secretary. DHS is facing serious problems, both political and practical. The department is more than a month into a shutdown and reeling from scandals under former Secretary Kristi Noem. TSA has been particularly hard hit by the current standoff, losing hundreds of employees.
Senate Republicans have been hopeful that installing Mullin at DHS will bolster bipartisan talks to resolve the 38-day standoff, which is centered on ICE and CBP’s role in President Donald Trump’s harsh immigration crackdown.
As we noted above, those negotiations now seem to be making progress. GOP senators are floating a plan that would involve funding all of DHS except ICE enforcement and removal operations. But they don’t have a deal yet.
“I’d assume he’d jump in with both feet,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said. “That’s typical Markwayne. When there’s a challenge, he wants to talk to everybody and try to figure out how we get it unstuck.”
Mullin, 48, also has a uniquely close relationship with Trump, which could ultimately help the president get behind the proposed deal that Mullin’s now-former colleagues are trying to craft.
If congressional leaders and the White House are able to strike an agreement, it’ll be on Mullin to do the high-stakes job of implementing it. Democrats will be watching closely, particularly on how any changes to ICE operations are rolled out.
Mullin has relationships all across the Capitol after 13 years in the House and Senate. Mullin fashioned himself over the last few years as the Senate’s informal liaison with the House, where he has close GOP ties from his time as a member. Notably, Mullin has been working behind the scenes in that capacity of late, hashing out a proposal on ICE reforms with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), the NYT reported.
But Democrats are expecting tangible changes to how DHS operates.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said whether Mullin’s leadership could shift the dynamics in the DHS talks all depends “on whether he agrees to commit to reform and change at the agency.”
All but two Senate Democrats — Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.) — voted against Mullin’s nomination.
A new face in the Senate. Mullin’s exit for DHS also means that Oklahoma will soon have a new junior senator.
Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt will need to appoint the replacement, who will serve through this year. Senate GOP leaders are planning to hold the swearing-in for the appointee at 3:30 p.m. today, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
Stitt is expected to tap energy executive Alan Armstrong. NOTUS first reported the pick. Armstrong wouldn’t be able to run for election to the seat in November.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) is in the race to fill the Senate seat in 2027 and has locked up endorsements from Trump and Senate GOP leaders.
