1 of 2 | Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on his nomination to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
March 19 (UPI) -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted to advance President Donald Trump's pick to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary on Thursday.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., advanced past the first step toward confirmation by an 8-7 vote from the Senate panel. Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against Mullin's confirmation while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat to vote in favor.
Mullin will face a vote from the full Senate next. He needs a simple majority to earn the confirmation.
Paul's "no" vote was expected after he pressed Mullin over his temper and comments he had made about the Senator being assaulted in 2017. Paul confronted Mullin over saying that he understood why Paul's neighbor assaulted him and more recently calling Paul a "freaking snake."
