(AFP) – US senators were set for a pivotal committee vote Thursday on whether to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, after a combative hearing exposed concerns about his temperament and policy agenda. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to narrowly approve Senator Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the powerful agency responsible for carrying out Trump’s high-profile immigration crackdown. Republican leaders are eyeing a full Senate vote as early as next week if he clears the panel — but the outcome is not assured.
Committee chairman Rand Paul, a Republican, has said he will oppose the nomination, citing what he described as Mullin’s “anger issues” and past inflammatory remarks. That leaves Mullin needing at least one Democrat to break ranks to advance. Pennsylvania centrist John Fetterman has emerged as a potential swing vote, though he has stopped short of committing his support, saying only that his “mind is still open.”
Despite Paul’s opposition, he has pledged to move ahead with the vote, signaling a willingness to allow the process to continue even as he raises concerns about Mullin’s suitability to lead a sprawling law enforcement agency. The hearing on Wednesday — the only formal hurdle before a floor vote — quickly turned tense, with Paul confronting Mullin over past comments and questioning his temperament. Mullin previously called Paul a “freaking snake” for breaking with Republicans on key votes, while Paul has accused Mullin of effectively excusing a 2017 assault in which Paul was severely injured by a neighbor. Mullin denies this — saying he only sought to explain, not justify, the attack.
Democrats pressed Mullin over his record and the administration’s immigration policies, expressing skepticism about his promises to chart a less controversial course than outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, who was ousted after federal agents shot dead two American protesters during migrant roundups in Minnesota. Mullin sought to reassure lawmakers by pledging a lower-profile approach to running the department, saying his goal was to avoid dominating headlines. “My goal at six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” he told senators. “My goal is for people to understand we’re out there, we’re protecting them.”
He also signaled openness to requiring judicial warrants for immigration enforcement operations — a potential shift from current policy and a key demand from Democrats in ongoing funding negotiations. But those assurances did little to ease opposition. Several Democrats said they would need to see concrete legislative changes before taking Mullin at his word, particularly as the department remains partially shut down amid a standoff over immigration enforcement.
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