Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the White House pick for homeland security secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.Mariam Zuhaib/The Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump’s nomination of Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to be the next head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Sunday advanced toward final confirmation after the Senate voted 54-37 to limit debate on the appointment.
The confirmation vote could come sometime on Monday. If approved, as expected, Mullin would replace Secretary Kristi Noem, whom Trump fired on March 5.
Mullin’s confirmation was all but assured on Thursday when the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to send it to the full chamber despite opposition from the panel’s chair, Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican.
Trump Homeland nominee Markwayne Mullin advances to vote before full Senate
If confirmed, Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, would be the second Native American to serve as a cabinet member.