Markwayne Mullin says he'd be a steady hand at the Department of Homeland Security if he's confirmed as secretary. But he faced pushback from fellow senators at a hearing Wednesday.
WASHINGTON — Markwayne Mullin, the White House pick for homeland security secretary, made a case to fellow senators Wednesday that he would be a steady hand for a department roiled by controversy under Kristi Noem, but signaled he would follow President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration priorities and pushed back on concerns over his temperament for the Cabinet post.
The Oklahoma Republican faced questions from members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about his vision for a department tasked with carrying out the Republican administration's push for mass deportations. Democrats have halted routine funds for the Department of Homeland Security in a weekslong standoff as they demand restraints on immigration officers after the death of at least three American citizens at the hands of federal agents.Throughout his confirmation hearing, Mullin struck a soft tone on some of the administration's most contentious policies, and he retracted his description of a Minneapolis man killed by federal officers as "deranged." But his combative style, seen in a heated exchange with the committee chair, and loyalty to the president meant questions remained over how he might revamp a troubled department that is central to Trump's deportation agenda."I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of homeland I'll be protecting everybody," Mullin said. "My goal in six months is that we're not in the lead story every single day."We have to get DHS funded. We have to realize that we're putting our homeland and the peace of mind at risk for the American people. –Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-OKla. Mullin became emotional at some moments during the hearing and fought back at others, as he spoke of his family's relationship with Trump and his own commitment to the president's agenda.The hearing was Mullin's first opportunity since being nominated to present his plans in public for the government's third-largest department. Noem was fired this month following mounting criticism of her leadership.Mullin sheds light on his immigration viewsTrump's immigration agenda and how Mullin intends to implement it are key issues for Democrats. Trump's policy of mass deportations is at a crossroads, and Mullin will be under pressure to achieve Trump's goals when the public mood has soured over aggressive immigration enforcement operations.On whether DHS should meet a 3,000-a-day quota for the num
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