Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, is scheduled to be sworn in as the new U.S. homeland security secretary at the White House on Tuesday, replacing Kristi Noem, whom U.S. President Donald Trump fired earlier in the month.
The Senate confirmed him on Monday 54-45, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) the lone Republican to oppose and Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) the only Democrats to support.
“The current secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well and has had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the border, will be moving to be special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, our new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere,” Trump wrote earlier in the month.
“Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the wisdom and courage required to advance our America First agenda,” the president said at the time.
“Congratulations to my friend Markwayne Mullin on his bipartisan confirmation as secretary of homeland security,” stated House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday. “I look forward to continuing our important work with you and President Trump to put America First, keeping our border secure, our communities safe and our country strong.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down, with some airports advising travelers to arrive three hours prior to their flights due to long security lines.
“While Democrats block paychecks for law enforcement and prioritize criminal illegal aliens, Republicans are fighting to support the 260,000 American heroes who serve at DHS and protect the American people,” Johnson said.
