At least we hope so.
Trump’s DHS pick Markwayne Mullin advances out of Senate committee after tough confirmation hearing
... The vote was 8-7, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, chair of the Senate panel, the lone Republican vote against the nomination and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., the lone Democrat voting in favor. Republicans hold an 8-7 majority on the committee. ...
Paul’s “no” vote came after he lashed out at the nominee the day prior. Mullin recently said he understood why Paul’s neighbor physically attacked him in 2017 and called Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican who often does not vote with his party, a “freaking snake.” Paul called Mullin “unrepentant.”
“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said. ...
Fetterman declined to speak to reporters outside the hearing room following the vote, instead referring them to a statement posted to his 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 in the post. “We need a leader at DHS. We must reopen DHS. My AYE is rooted in a strong committed, constructive working relationship with Senator Mullin for our nation’s security.”
Noem has been lambasted by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for her leadership. And polling on the Trump administration’s immigration policies flagged in the winter after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis in January.
Mullin, signaling a break from his predecessor said Wednesday that he would require immigration agents to obtain judicial warrants to enter private property. He also seemed open to rethinking Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s role in immigration crackdowns. ...
