Markwayne Mullin, the White House’s pick for homeland secretary, told fellow senators on Wednesday that he would be a steady hand for the controversy-plagued department under Christy Nome, but signaled he would follow President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration priorities and pushed back on concerns about his temperament for a Cabinet post.
The Oklahoma Republican faced questions from members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about his vision for the Republican administration’s department handling mass deportations. Democrats have halted routine funding to the Department of Homeland Security during a week-long shutdown as they demand restrictions on immigration officials after at least three American citizens died at the hands of federal agents.
Throughout his confirmation hearings, Mullin struck a soft tone on some of the administration’s most controversial policies, and he retracted his description of a Minneapolis man killed by federal officers as “contradictory.” But his combative style and loyalty to the president, seen in heated exchanges with committee chairs, mean questions remain about how he can revamp the troubled department central to Trump’s deportation agenda.
“I may have different opinions with everyone in this room, but as secretary of the homeland I will protect everyone,” Mullin said. “My goal in six months is that we won’t be in a major story every day.”
Mullin became emotional at some moments and combative at others during the hearing, talking about his family’s relationship with Trump and his own commitment to the president’s agenda.
The hearing is Mullin’s first chance since being nominated to publicly present his plans for the government’s third-largest department. Noam was fired this month after mounting criticism of his leadership.
Mullin sheds light on his immigration views
Trump’s immigration agenda and Mullin’s plan to implement it are key issues for Democrats. Trump’s mass deportation policy is at a crossroads and Mullin will be under pressure to achieve Trump’s goals as public sentiment sours over aggressive immigration enforcement operations.
As for whether DHS must meet a 3,000-day quota for the number of immigration arrests it makes, Mullin said none has been set.
He retracted comments he made about Alex Pretty, a Minneapolis man shot by federal immigration officials, and called Mullin a “pervert.”
“I shouldn’t say that and as secretary I won’t,” he said.
Except in limited circumstances, officers only use a warrant signed by a judge to forcefully enter homes to make arrests, Mullin said. Federal authorities have used administrative warrants to do so, raising concerns that constitutional protections are being skirted.
In his opening remarks and answers to senators’ questions, Mullin called for restoring routine DHS funding.
“We have to get DHS money,” Mullin told senators. “We must realize that we are putting our homeland and the peace of mind of the American people at risk.”
The chairman of the committee says that Mullin praised the violence
The first part of the hearing was from Kentucky Republican Committee Chairman Sen. Marked by Rand Paul’s fiery opening statement.
Paul challenged Mullin’s fitness for his role, pointing to comments Mullin made after the financial fight, calling Paul a “freaking snake” and saying he understood why a neighbor tackled Paul in a lawn care dispute. That incident happened several years ago, and Paul suffered multiple broken ribs and later underwent surgery related to the attack.
“I wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that is struggling to accept limits to the proper use of force?” Paul said.
Mullin refused to back down to Paul in a performance that Trump likely expected and appreciated.
“For you to say I’m a liar, sir, that’s not accurate,” Mullin said.
Paul later said he would not vote for Mullin’s confirmation.
Separately, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters reviewed earlier criticism that suggested Mullin was “involved in special security forces or overseas combat operations”.
Mullin said he was involved in an official tour but could not discuss details.
“It’s classified, sir,” Mullin replied, adding that he had never disclosed details about the “dates, location and mission.”
The FBI, which conducts background checks on executive nominees, has no record of his trip, Peters said.
Ultimately, Mullin agreed to discuss the matter after the hearing in a private, classified setting.
Mullin, a Trump ally
Mullin is a former mixed martial arts fighter who ran a plumbing business in Oklahoma before running for Congress. If confirmed, he is expected to be a staunch ally of Trump’s agenda.
“Whether it’s protecting the homeland from bad actors, stopping the flow of dangerous drugs into American communities or removing the most egregious criminal illegal aliens, Senator Mullin will work tirelessly to implement the president’s agenda,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement.
Peters said Democrats are asking for “straightforward” changes at DHS to conform regulations and police departments to follow.
Peters emphasized the challenges Homeland Security faces from threats to criminal hackers from Iran and said the department needs someone with a “steady hand.” But Peters said he has reservations about whether Mullin is ready for the job.
As the latest partial government shutdown drags on, a growing number of US airports face long security lines as security screeners go another month without pay. Republicans have accused Democrats of putting the nation’s security at risk by blocking funding for the department.
DHS experienced turmoil under Noem
Under Noem, intense enforcement operations were launched in places including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, where immigrants were rounded up in detention sweeps and protesters clashed with federal authorities.
Activists and politicians have accused DHS officers of smashing car windows, roughing up bystanders who tried to document their activities, and detaining immigrants in squalid conditions. The shooting deaths have led to growing criticism of Trump’s immigration agenda.
DHS says its officials are only responding with force when necessary and have blamed activists and politicians, who say they are dialing up the rhetoric against federal officials.
Mullin faced questions about the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which is in the midst of turbulent changes after Trump said he wants to overhaul the agency.
Mullin said he would look to “restructure” FEMA and not repeal it.
Under Noem’s leadership, all contracts over $100,000 had to wait for her approval. This led to long delays for states desperate for reimbursement for the money they spent on things like storm debris removal.
When asked about that policy, Mullin said he would withdraw it.
(AP with France 24)
(tags to translate)Americas
