WASHINGTON Markwayne Mullin, confirmed Monday by the U.S. Senate as the next Secretary of Homeland Security, becomes the first Oklahoman named to a presidential cabinet position since 2018, when Scott Pruitt concluded his brief stint as director of the Environmental Protection Agency. Before Pruitt, the last Oklahoman to serve as a U.S. Cabinet member was during the Reagan administration.
The 54-45 vote marks the end of Mullin’s U.S. Senate career and the beginning of his presidential cabinet career.
With his confirmation, Mullin becomes the first member of the Cherokee Nation tribe to lead the department. His first day on the job will certainly not be uneventful, as DHS has been shut down nearly 40 days following the deaths of two Americans at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)
The more than 280,000 American workers under the umbrella of DHS have missed paychecks during the current shutdown. Mullin was questioned about the partial government shutdown during his confirmation hearing: 'We have to get DHS funded,” Mullin said. “We have to set the partisan side down and we have to realize that we’re putting our homeland and the peace of mind at risk for the American people.'
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) vouched for his fellow Oklahoman and long-time Senate colleague, emphasizing their shared friendship throughout their time working together.
During his confirmation hearing, Mullin addressed the weight of the mission he is about to undertake.
'I will work hard each day. I'll work hard to make the 280,000 employees at DHS with the 22 agencies that's underneath me proud. I'll show themsomebody that no one will outwork.'
The political ripple effects are already being felt back home in Oklahoma as a Senate seat opens. Gov. Kevin Stitt is tasked with appointing an interim successor to fill the vacancy Mullin left behind.
The Department of Homeland Security has lacked permanent leadership since the dismissal of former secretary Kristi Noem.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net