Senate votes to advance Mullin’s nomination to lead DHS

(Kathleen Hunter – Axios) The Senate voted 54-37 on Sunday to advance Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin is on track to be confirmed this week to succeed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary when Noem steps down at the end of the month. Mullin, a first-term senator, won approval from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday in a narrow, 8-7 vote, despite opposition from the panel’s chairman, Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Paul did not vote Sunday. Had he voted “no” on the floor, he would have been the first senator in nearly four decades to oppose a fellow senator nominated by a president of his own party. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), the only Democrat to vote in favor of Mullin’s nomination in committee, voted “yes” again, along with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Otherwise, the vote split along party lines. – Senate votes to advance Mullin’s nomination to lead DHS