It’s Markwayne Mullin’s day of reckoning after a fiery Senate hearing Wednesday.
The Oklahoma Republican will likely secure the votes he needs at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Thursday, though it’s not a sure thing. If things go as expected, he could be confirmed as DHS secretary early next week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told POLITICO.
But Wednesday’s drama at HSGAC — the only obvious chokepoint for his nomination — heralds some real issues going forward given the fierce opposition Mullin encountered from Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and tough questioning from Democrats.
— One angry chair: Paul told reporters Mullin’s anger issues and his expression of sympathy for the man who attacked and severely injured Paul in 2017 means “he’s unfit to be leading a large law enforcement agency.”
But Paul made clear his personal opposition would not preclude showing “courtesy to the White House,” and he vowed to move forward with Thursday’s 9:30 a.m. vote.
The chair predicted Mullin would still advance with the help of at least one Democrat. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) appears open to supporting Mullin, though he would not commit publicly to backing him Wednesday, saying only his “mind is still open.”
Even if Mullin stalls in the panel vote, Paul suggested the White House could ask for a “negative recommendation,” allowing a floor vote to proceed. “I mean, there are things I would consider,” he said.
But he also made clear he will be watching Mullin closely as he takes the reins at DHS — especially immigration enforcement agencies that have been plagued by use-of-force controversies.
“We’re going to go fast with the nomination hearing. We’re going to go fast with the vote. But I can’t vote for a guy who’s got anger” issues, Paul said.
— Many skeptical Democrats: Mullin presented himself during Wednesday’s hearing as a different type of leader from ousted Secretary Kristi Noem. Democrats weren’t receptive.
“My goal at six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” Mullin said. “My goal is for people to understand we’re out there. We’re protecting them.”
Mullin indicated he’d reverse a controversial administration decision allowing ICE agents to enter homes with only an administrative warrant, not a signoff from a judge. Ending that practice is a huge sticking point for Democrats in DHS funding talks.
But several HSGAC Democrats like Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ruben Gallego of Arizona said after the hearing that Mullin’s comments aren’t a ray of hope for breaking the shutdown impasse. At least not yet.
“Openness [to judicial warrants] doesn’t mean anything to me until I see it in actual legislation,” Gallego told POLITICO.
What else we’re watching:
— Gabbard takes the stand again: The House Intelligence committee will have a hearing on worldwide threats to American security, with testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other officials at 8:30 a.m.
— Sanders to force vote on Israel arms sale: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is introducing joint resolutions of disapproval Thursday over several U.S. arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, his office tells POLITICO. The resolutions take aim at a combined $658 million worth of munitions sales.
— Next Epstein deposition: Darren Indyke, a lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein and a co-executor of his estate, will testify before the House Oversight committee Thursday in a highly anticipated closed-door deposition. Eager for answers about Epstein’s crimes, lawmakers are amid a series of closed-door sessions with people who are seen as close to the late convicted sex offender, including his accountant Richard Kahn and client Les Wexner.
Jordain Carney and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
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