Markwayne Mullin's nomination to be DHS secretary narrowly clears Senate committee with Democratic support
Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination to be the secretary of Homeland Security narrowly cleared a committee vote Thursday morning with the help of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, teeing up the Oklahoma Republican's nomination for a final vote on the Senate floor as soon as next week.
Mullin's nomination advanced out of Senate Homeland Security Committee by a vote of 8-7. He needed a simple majority of votes to clear the committee.
After a series of contentious exchanges during Wednesday's confirmation hearing, Sen. Rand Paul, the committee's chairman, ultimately cast a vote against Mullin in committee on Thursday. Fetterman was the only Democrat to cast a vote in his favor.
Fetterman's vote proved to be critical for Mullin as Republicans only hold a one seat majority on the committee. Paul's objection meant that at least one Democrat would be necessary to push Mullin over the line.
After the vote, Fetterman said he approached the Mullin vote with an "open mind."
"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," Fetterman wrote in a post on X.
Mullin's hearing came weeks after President Donald Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, following her handling of the Minneapolis immigration enforcement and criticism that she used $220 million in taxpayer money for an ad campaign.
Mullin's nomination will head to the Senate floor where he'll need a simple majority of votes to be confirmed. He is expected to be approved by the chamber when he comes up for a final vote.
-ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
